Liberosis
by arcaneghost
Summary: Rachel Amber has been crushing on Chloe Price for the longest time, but she's never been able to approach her... until now.
1. Liberosis

Beautiful. Funny. Charming. Popular. Smart. Confident. _Perfect_. Those were all words used to describe Rachel Amber, a sixteen-year-old blonde girl who always wore a thick brown-braided leather bracelet with silver-blue objects and a matching blue feathered earring with a golden pheasant tippet at the top, just her signature objects. But one word people always decided to ignore was _adapting_. Rachel could see a random group of skaters on the park and instantly make a conversation, even though she'd never skated before but always wanted to. She could see a group of hobos warming up to a fire and act as if she were one of them, regarding her looks. She could trick you into believing anything, like you no longer had opposable thumbs or that she really cared about the thing you were telling her so passionately about. But that didn't make her fake, _right?_ Just really... crafty.

Maybe the school was just too boring. Blackwell was full of people who wanted to fit in desperately. Rachel fitted in the second she moved to Oregon, Arcadia Bay—being a Cali girl was really attractive, given an instant acceptance card. But maybe she didn't want to fit in. She wished she could just not give a fuck. But no... she just couldn't tell anyone to fuck off, that would be too disrespectful, at least that's what her parents' taught her. But she guessed lying was part of their mold—since she was the daughter of the DA, she had to learn to lie. Act. Pretend. Still not fake, though.

Rachel passed by the Blackwell hallways, a few books on her hands. Her friend Dana Ward was by her side, talking about one of her scenes in the Drama Club. "He's literally been banging everyone and my character is just supposed to just forgive him?" Dana ranted.

"That _is_ unsettling," Rachel answered. "But she is in love, you can't blame her for having clouded thinking." Instinctively, she looked at _her_ locker, a few isles away from hers. Chloe Price's. Her crush's. You could call Rachel confident all you wanted, but she was scared shitless to talk to her.

You see, Chloe Price was a loner ever since her father died two years ago. How did Rachel know that if she hadn't spoken to her? She asked around. Chloe's father's death had led her to bad grades, drugs, and alcohol. Chloe just... _stopped giving fucks_. She burst her punk music—her favorite, don't ask—loudly on the field. She ditched most of her classes, one of the reasons it was impossible to speak to her. And she talked back to all the teachers. Or well, everyone.

How do you talk to someone like that? Someone _so_ wild? Someone who could turn you down in a beat? Someone who has the trait you want?

Rachel realized she'd been staring for a tad too long and placed her books inside her locker, trying to forget about the image of the short haired brunette dressed in vegan leather—yes, she also knew Chloe wouldn't hurt an animal in any way. Rachel was really good at reading people, being a fast learner, and maybe... also at stalking them. And trust me, it was _hard_.

Chloe Price didn't really use social media, she just shared new songs she was into and sometimes liked posts on Miss Arcadia Bay, a forum to discuss events going on the town. Here's a secret: Rachel _was_ Miss Arcadia Bay, but no one would know that. As Miss Arcadia, she could complain. She could say what she really wanted to out loud. Maybe that's why Chloe used it. But Rachel couldn't be like that in real life. Maybe _that_ makes her fake.

"I wish straight girls weren't so dumb," Dana said. She was openly bisexual and so was Rachel, probably one of the reasons Rachel kind of liked her, being able to joke about their sexualities. But Rachel wouldn't tell her about her crush on Chloe, they weren't close enough.

"Me too." Rachel rolled her eyes, even though she didn't feel that annoyed. She hadn't been too invested in this conversation. Rachel closed her locker. "Well, I gotta go to the library. _Bi!_ "

"Bi!" Dana waved her hard as her friend walked away.

Rachel got into the library, successfully avoiding anyone who would try to talk to her on the way. She sat down in front of a computer, looked around and logged into Miss Arcadia Bay. Normally, if someone in real life talked to her about the website, Rachel would say she watches actual _News_ , not some wannabe blog. People believed her, it fitted with the DA's daughter profile. How naïve.

She had a few messages. She clicked the one that caught her eyes first: FIREWALK CONFIRMED. Firewalk was a band she liked. And guess who else did? _Chloe_. This was perfect. She'd been waiting for the rumours, for her wish upon a star to come true for this one chance. The chance to bond with Chloe over a band they both loved. She suppressed a squeal. And _yes_ , she could just talk to Chloe in school about the band, but what's the fun in that?

Rachel answered the Ask Miss Arcadia post so Chloe would see it, finding out the location through her reliable sources and making it more appealing to strangers through her mysteriousness.

She logged out after answering a few other messages and got up to get ready for her next classes. She wasn't sure how she was going to concentrate, knowing she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it. But she would manage. She was "Little Miss Perfect", after all.

* * *

The hours to come seemed eternal. Rachel survived class. But when she came home, she couldn't stop staring at her computer screen, waiting for Chloe's like. She sighed, knowing she was obsessing and wasting time. She had already messed up her study schedule. Who cares about that now, though? What was she gonna wear? Rachel wanted to impress Chloe, for sure. Her usual flannels wouldn't do this time. A concert was a whole different scene and Rachel _loved_ dressing up for events.

She dug through her closet, went for: a dark studded jacket, a black t-shirt with a white silhouette of a person playing guitar, denim shorts over torn-up black leggings and black boots. She'll probably go crazy with accessories, like necklaces and bracelets. Rachel enjoyed going all out. Sometimes she considers she's overdressing, but it always ends up being the right amount. She hoped, at least. _See?_ This is why she needed to stop giving fucks. Yet here she is, figuring out how to impress a girl.

She heard a notification sound come from her computer. She left the outfit on her bed and ran to her laptop.

 **1 new comment:**

 _Chloe Price_ wrote _Fuck yeah. Can't wait!_

Rachel cheered, even did a little silly dance. And then composed herself, as if someone had looked at her weirdly through the window. She sat comfortably on her chair and browsed through Tumblr and Pinterest for hairstyle reference. A ponytail would be fitting.

When Rachel was calmer and her parents called her to come down for dinner, she asked them if she could go. She lied to them about its whereabouts, though. If her father knew it was in the abandoned sawmill... he would go himself and arrest everyone. Probably.

One word she had forgotten to mention about herself was _ambitious_. Yes, she wanted to climb Everest and be a successful actress and model. But she also wanted to get the girl. And she would. Not going to the concert wasn't an option.

Lucky for her, her parents bought her lie. The good thing about them was that they trusted her, having the best grades and seemingly good relationships with students and teachers paid off.

Rachel went to sleep with a smile on her face, not being able to wait, too.

* * *

The evening of the concert, Rachel put her outfit on. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she knew she looked hot. She decided to add some pins to her jacket, wore a choker, a necklace with an animal fang and black fingerless gloves. If that didn't scream badass, Rachel didn't know what would.

Even though she knew Chloe would probably be a little late, she arrived early, having to charm her way in. At times like these, she wished she was eighteen. To be fully free of ties to her parents. She just wanted to run away and see the world.

Once inside, she grabbed a drink. She had suddenly felt nervous and Rachel didn't do nervous. She walked around the lobby area, there were both young and grown people by the bar getting drunk already, music coming from the back entrance to the stage. A homeless-looking guy hanged on the couch. He looked hungover. There was a wooden dilapidated staircase next to him. She glanced out the front windows, seeing Chloe arrive.

 _Okay, Rachel, go to the mosh pit and dance. Enjoy yourself. You're still you. You'll magically bump into Chloe and dance together_. What a nice plan.

But Chloe didn't fucking come. Firewalk was already on the second song.

Rachel looked at the entrance and that's when her eyes met Chloe. It was like the world had stopped. Chloe looked stunning, even though she was wearing the same clothes she wore at school today. But that moment ended quickly as Chloe bumped into a skeevy guy and dropped his drink on his shirt. They argued and then Chloe left, not being able to come anymore.

Rachel considered her options right now. Chloe wouldn't leave without seeing Firewalk. She would find another way. Hmm... _The dilapidated staircase_. Rachel looked up and the half-broken second floor had a clear view of the band. Chloe would definitely be there. But it seems like the skeevy guy and his friend decided to follow Chloe, too. _Fuck_ , Rachel had to hurry, but there were too many people in her way.

When she finally made it through, she ran up the steps, trying to be careful and not fall. She swore that the homeless man looked at her funny. Well, that didn't matter. Once on the second floor, she saw how the men were threatening her crush, cornering her to the ledge. Instinctively, Rachel grabbed a bottle and threw it at one of them. "Hey, dick head!"


	2. Énouement

Rachel and Chloe danced and sang for the rest of the night to Firewalk. They even took a cute selfie together to immortalize their time there. Rachel's mind couldn't even process that her plan had worked, too lost in the moment with Chloe fucking Price, or that Chloe had kicked the other guy in the nuts. He had punched her in the eye, but Chloe didn't seem to be in pain, probably because of the alcohol they'd drunk.

They hadn't had time to really talk, the music too loud and too good, but that was fine. They were enjoying each other's presence. Going alone to a concert didn't sound fun at all, at least not after this.

"Thank you for coming, Oregon," Firewalk's singer exclaimed. "Until next time!"

The crowd cheered and the band left the stage. Rachel looked at Chloe, hiding a few messy pieces of hair behind her ear. "We should probably head out before we can't."

"Yeah," Chloe agreed, a huge grin on her face, the whole adrenaline not gone. Rachel grabbed her hand and led her out, making her feel even more driven, zigzagging through the sea of people.

Once they made it out of the sawmill, they sat around the campfire by the front, the flames reflecting orange beautifully on their faces. "I didn't know you were into Firewalk," Chloe started.

"Well, it's not really public knowledge," Rachel answered, suddenly feeling too hot and taking her jacket off.

Chloe observed her carefully. Still feeling tipsy, her eyes darted to Rachel's bare arms and then back at her face. She was sure she would be drunk of joy for a while. "How did you find out about the gig? _That_ 's not public knowledge."

 _Fuck... Ignore Chloe totally checking you out and don't expose yourself as Miss Arcadia Bay_. "Uh, online."

"Uh, me too," Chloe mocked her tone and then grinned again. It was like she couldn't stop. "You look bitchin'."

"Thanks, you too... Well, you do every day." Rachel wanted to face-palm herself. _Don't expose yourself as Chloe's biggest stalker, too_.

Chloe didn't seem to think much about it. "If you don't look bitchin' every day, then why do you even?"

Rachel genuinely laughed, even if it wasn't even that funny. It has been a while since she has been genuine with anyone, like her subconsciousness didn't want to show Chloe someone she wasn't. _Good_. "So... how did you get here? Arcadia's not that close."

"Snuck into a train. I was thinking about standing in the middle of the tracks on the way back. But then you happened."

Rachel couldn't tell if Chloe was joking or being honest just because of the alcohol. The latter scared her. "I'm... _glad_. The world would suck without Chloe Price."

Chloe looked doubtful, but didn't comment on it. "I don't wanna go home."

Rachel groaned. "Don't remind me. If my dad knows I've been drinking..."

" _Blow me_."

"What–?"

"Air. Blow air to my face."

Rachel pursed her lips and then let her breath out.

Chloe sniffed suspiciously. "You definitely smell like beer. Let's find a store on our way back and buy some mints." She stood up and stretched out her hand. Rachel took it and her crush helped her up.

They rode a train back and walked on the empty streets of Arcadia Bay. Rachel loved this time of night because there wasn't anyone to impress, anyone to worry about. Obviously, there was Chloe. But Chloe wouldn't judge her.

They didn't speak until they bought mints and water, being comfortable with the silence and the fresh windy air. They were closer to Chloe's house so Rachel dropped her off, not accepting Chloe's offer to stay over. As much as Rachel would have loved that, she had promised her parents she'd be home before two after midnight. She already felt bad about lying to them.

"So..." Chloe put her hands inside her pockets, looking at her feet.

This was the realization that their night had ended. Neither of them wanted it to. "See you tomorrow at school?" Rachel asked, hoping Chloe wouldn't skip for once.

"Yeah, sure," Chloe said and then took a step forward.

Rachel gave her a goodbye hug. Chloe felt stiff at first, as if she hadn't been embraced by someone in a long time, but then warmed up to her. When they pulled away, Rachel watched as Chloe climbed up to her bedroom window. She waited until she was inside to make her way back.

When Rachel was on her sidewalk, she noticed the lights in the living room were on. She gulped and quietly opened the door. There was no one in sight. Maybe her mom left the lamp on to not have her walk into a dark house. _Thanks_.

She went to the kitchen and grabbed some pills in case she had a hangover in the morning, though she doubted—she'd thought it through, not having an empty stomach. And Rachel was used to drinking too, usually (and secretly) taking her parents' alcoholic beverages to feel numb for a little while.

She started through the hallway to get upstairs, but then noticed that her father's office was unlocked. She peeked through the door and he wasn't inside. Rachel knew she shouldn't, but she entered.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for a cellphone that wasn't her dad's on top of his desk. She frowned and turned it on. That's when Rachel realized this was a burner phone. It couldn't be evidence since it was out in the open.

Rachel clicked on the messages icon and it only had one contact, a private and unnamed number.

 **ANONYMOUS:** When can we meet? We need to talk.

 _Tomorrow at the overview_ , her father had written. _12pm_.

Rachel checked the date. Her dad was meeting this person later today. Could this be what—or rather who—he's been hiding from her? These past few weeks, he has been uneasy and tenser. When Rachel had asked why, he said it was "just work". But this wasn't work. Remember her stalking skill? It hadn't been learned by having crushes on gorgeous badass ladies. It was because Rachel had been keeping an eye on her father's cases.

When Rachel was a child, she played detectives with her dad. She had picked up a thing or two, like knowing when a person was lying to her. Maybe that's what bothers her. Everybody lies. Even him.

She used to be so afraid that someday a criminal would get out of prison and try to get revenge on her father for putting them there that Rachel kept tabs on him. Could this anonymous person be threatening him? Can this anonymous person have something over him?

Rachel decided it was best to stop wondering and see things for herself tomorrow. She got out of the office, leaving the burner phone like she found it, turned off the living room's lamp, locked the office and went to her bedroom.

The first thing she did after changing to her pajamas was post her selfie with Chloe, typing "Firewalk!" as the description, though a single word couldn't describe how she had felt. Honestly, this has been the best night of her life. She wished things would change in school. But wait. They _will_. She made sure of it by asking Chloe to come tomorrow. So what _are_ tomorrow's plans? She has to show her drama teacher her costume of Prospera for the play "The Tempest". Rachel was such a great actress that Mr. Keaton changed the protagonist's sex to give her the role. Then she had to get to the overview somehow. But that would ruin her school day with Chloe. _Eh_ , Chloe didn't care about school. They can ditch together. Maybe Rachel can even show her her costume. She looked hot in that, too.

She tucked herself in bed and closed her eyes with a smile on her face. For once, she had something to look forward to. Well, _someone_.

Like she assumed, Rachel gratefully didn't wake up with a hangover. She turned on her laptop to check Miss Arcadia Bay. She planned on writing a short post about Firewalk and how they rocked. No word from Chloe there. Well, Chloe probably fell asleep right away and is still sleeping until now. Rachel smiled at the thought and decided to check her emails anyway. Her selfie with Chloe had gotten lots of comments overnight, ones complementing her and others asking who was the girl she was with.

 _Were people really that forgetful?_ Chloe Price sure avoided everyone, but she wasn't invisible. Rachel thought she was quite the sight and was persistent of making the world know that. The world started with Chloe.

For now though, instead of lashing out at all these ignorants, Rachel decided to get ready for the day, taking a shower and dressing up with a blue flannel and ripped jeans. Her bag was already packed with her Prospera costume so she just took it downstairs and left it by the entrance.

She walked to the dining table and was instantly greeted by her mother, who was pouring juice on her glass. "Hi, sweetie. How was the concert?" Rose asked.

A genuine smile formed in Rachel's lips at the thought as she sat next to her. "It was awesome. The band is as good as they are on studio, if not better."

"Good to know it was worth it," her dad James, who was sitting at the end of the table having breakfast, commented.

"It really was." Rachel glanced at him, thinking about the burner phone, and then started eating her food quietly, remembering what she would do today. Rachel had never, _ever_ , ditched school. She had a perfect record. But one day would be nothing, right?

Her father drove her to school on his way to work. Thankfully, he hadn't made small talk and turned the radio on instead. Rachel wouldn't know how to talk to him properly knowing she was about to spy on him. If it were anyone else, she wouldn't mind ranting about how the concert was the best of her life and would never be topped, but just thinking about his disappointment after finding out she didn't go to school...

"We're here, Rach," James said, giving her a funny look.

Rachel blinked, getting out of her ocean of thoughts. "Thanks for dropping me off. Goodbye, dad." She hopped off the car and walked towards school, having her acting class first. By the end of it, she changed into her costume of Prospera as others recited their lines to Mr. Keaton. When she exited the dressing room and looked out the window, she noticed Chloe had just finished talking to Steph and Mikey and was walking towards the Blackwell's entrance.

Rachel didn't see Mr. Keaton anywhere so she ran to the double doors, ready to casually bump into Chloe. But then she heard more voices outside. Drew North's and Nathan Prescott's pissing each other off. _Damn it_.

"Relax, you both can be losers," Chloe intervened. Rachel didn't understand why she would get involved if she hated the two guys, but she decided to keep listening to Chloe kicking ass.

When her crush got them to back off, Rachel forced herself to remember what she was doing. _Bump into Chloe. Bump into Chloe_. She waited a few seconds and precisely opened the door when Chloe did. "Oh, good. You're here." She grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the drama club.

Dana and Hayden were rehearsing the scene Dana was so so frustrated about the other day. Rachel tried not to cringe as Hayden struggled to say some of his lines and shared a look with Chloe.

Mr. Keaton stopped him and scolded him, saying he had a lot of time to be off-book. Hayden apologized and the teacher cut him off. "Don't apologize to me. Apologize to your scene partner, who has been very accommodating." Dana offered a silly smile. "And to your other fellow actors. And most of all, to yourself."

"Mr. Keaton!" Rachel stepped in, loving how dramatic her teacher was. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but does this look better? I had my mom take it in a bit." She did a couple of twirls and winked at Chloe, who'd been behind her staring.

" _Mrrowww!_ Looking good Rachel," Dana gushed.

"Very cool," Hayden said.

"Exquisite, Rachel," Mr. Keaton agreed. "As always."

Rachel tugged a strand of hair behind her ear. Too many compliments at once.

Dana faced the teacher. "Mr. Keaton, I'm still having trouble with _My affections are then most humbled, I have no ambition to see a goodlier man_. I mean, does she really mean that?"

"Especially because I just straight out told her I've been banging all the ladies," Hayden added.

Rachel sighed. "That is hard. We've talked about that line forever." She turned towards Chloe. "We need a fresh perspective." Rachel put her hand around Chloe's lower back, bringing her to light. "The question is: Are Miranda's feelings of instant passion for Ferdinand just inexperienced and dramatic circumstances or... has she actually just met the love of her life? What do you think?"

"Sometimes—" Chloe started, gazing at Rachel. "—when you meet someone who's going to change your life, you know it, I guess..."

Rachel let out the tinniest of gasps, blushing a little. She did not expect _that_ from Chloe Price. She liked it.

"Also, you've got parents coming to see the show, right?" Chloe added, as if she'd realized she was being weird. "At twenty bucks a ticket, it's got to be true love."

"Wow, a romantic and a cynic," Dana commented. "That actually kinda helps me, thanks." The bell rang and she and Hayden got off the small stage. "Thanks, Mr. Keaton. See you later, guys!"

"Later," Hayden mumbled.

Mr. Keaton complained about having an improv. class full of freshmen and left, too.

Rachel slowly turned back to Chloe, the two sharing two longing looks. "Your eye looks fabulous, where'd you get it done?"

"Uh, what?" Even though Chloe was given shit about her black eye ever since she woke up, she couldn't process Rachel's words.

The blonde laughed. "I'm just kidding. That asshole really clocked you "

"It wasn't a big deal."

 _It really was_ , but Rachel thought that Chloe didn't seem to want to talk about it. "I'll just be a minute," she reassured her and started walking towards the dressing room. Rachel stopped her tracks for a second and pointed to the back of the classroom. "Oh, could you grab my belt for me? I think it's in my bag."

Once Rachel was out of sight, she suppressed the urge to squeal, still not believing Chloe Price had really said that about true love. And _yes_ , she knew she could have gone herself for her bag that was totally not far, but they couldn't waste time.

She was putting on her jeans behind a partition wall when Chloe's voice called her, "Uh, Rachel... is this your belt?"

Rachel turned around and took a peek out, not caring if she was just in her bra. "Yes, thank you!" She finished putting on her pants and searched for her T-shirt.

"I really liked your costume."

Rachel turned around, startled, and Chloe was standing in front of her. At least she didn't throw the belt to her face. "Thanks. So... did you bringing flowers to my dressing room?"

"I guess I owe you." Chloe handed her the belt. "I'll let you finish changing now."

When Rachel did, she stepped out and noticed her crush was just looking around. "Chloe Price."

"Rachel Amber?"

"Last night was amazing!"

"I'd never seen Firewalk live. Pretty fierce show."

"We'll have to do it again. To tell the truth, I went to bed last night wishing it never had to end. But then I thought: Why? Why does it have to end?" Rachel put a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, hoping she didn't just embarrass herself. Being honest _was_ weird.

"Maybe it doesn't," Chloe said a little too quickly. "Have to end."

"Exactly!" Rachel exclaimed. "How would you like to join me on a little field trip?"

"Fuck yeah, I was born to ditch!"

"I hoped you'd say that. Now about that eye... It's a hell of a battle scar. Do you want me to cover it up with some makeup?"

"Yes, please. People won't shut up about it."

Rachel put cream on Chloe's skin. Chloe winced, but then let herself be touched, though she didn't seem to enjoy makeup. But it was a win-win. She bet no one could say they put makeup on Chloe Price... or their hands on.

"That's a lot of makeup."

"That's the price of valor." Rachel grabbed a brush. "Close your eyes." When she was done, they glanced at her masterpiece through the mirror. Rachel knew they looked good together. "Much better."

"Holy shit."

Rachel patted her back and then picked up her costume. "Let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

After Rachel jumped on the train and helped her crush up, she looked at Chloe with the world behind her. That's when she really knew this was going to be the ride of their lives.


	3. Off The Rails

Getting to know Chloe Price's inner world on the way to the overview was certainly something. Rachel was impressed by how raw Chloe really was and how much Rachel was flirting with her, complimenting her looks at every chance given. Rachel also opened about wanting to leave Arcadia Bay when she started talking about her signature bracelet, which she had since she was a kid in Long Beach.

By playing "Two Truths And A Lie", an improvisation game that helped her get to know people she was acting with, she learned that Chloe's mom was dating an asshole who thinks Chloe is a problem. Chloe herself believed that and Rachel made it her mission to show her she wasn't a problem, just a person.

She also acknowledged how close they were getting, not only emotionally, but _physically_. They'd started being sat a meter from each other, slowly ended up bumping shoulders, laughing, and listening to Chloe's music. Life was good.

But when they jumped off the train and arrived at their destination, Rachel didn't expect to be so frustrated at a broken viewfinder who swallowed her only quarter, but she just was, hitting it with no outcome. While trying to sleep last night, she'd planned their day: the game on the train tracks and them spying on people and hopefully catch her dad meeting with the anonymous person.

Unlike her, Chloe looked for solutions, just wanting to make her happy again, which made Rachel feel better already. Chloe fixed the issue with a Prescott plate and her nail file. Rachel praised her for it, obviously, and realized how much of a dork Chloe was when she yelled "Prescott power, active" after forcing the coin out of the machine.

She put the coin in a working viewfinder and let Chloe have the control of it, the two making fun of everyone they saw until Rachel finally spotted her dad... kissing a woman that wasn't her mom as Chloe commented on how much they were going at it. As Rachel's world turned upside down.

Not knowing how to process this, her eyes just had to stop watching. Rachel turned away and stepped back. _How could dad be cheating on mom?_ They seemed so put together and her father could be a lot of things, but he was always loyal.

When Rachel used to play with other kids and she made them cry because she won fairly, he would stick by her side and tell the other kid's parents that they were the ones to blame for not knowing how to lose. _How can this be real?_

"Hey, are you alright?"

"What are we doing?" Rachel snapped.

Chloe frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Last I checked, you were supposed to be Chloe Price. Yet we've been ditching now for hours and we haven't even gotten wasted yet. That has to be against some ditching rule."

"Uh, hell yeah. If the honor student wants to show the school delinquent how to party? Be my guest."

"How gracious of you." Rachel walked away. Damn, Chloe was taking too much. Rachel turned around, put her arm on her lower back and guided her. There was a couple ahead of them having a picnic. "They have a bottle of wine," she pointed out. "Let's steal it."

"Uh, okay. Or we could try to find a liquor store instead?"

"No. You shouldn't bring alcohol to a public park if you're not willing to share it with everybody, right? And fuck it, I just wanna take something that's not mine." _Just like my dad took my mom's heart and decided to break it_.

So Chloe gave in to her anger. Rachel acted as if she'd fainted and the couple panicked on what to do as Chloe snatched the wine. They escaped successfully and then drank while walking on train tracks. The tension cut through the air and Rachel was glad Chloe wasn't trying to speak to her for once. She wasn't sure how she'd react. Rachel was never great at controlling her feelings when it came to something personal.

The alcohol burned through her body, just like she wanted. It just _didn't_ make sense, being taught about right and wrong and then being slapped in the face. Rachel knew her dad had to lie because of his job. Rachel knew her dad had to keep things from her, but never in a million years she would thought a secret would be another woman. Rachel just wanted to curl into a ball and shut the world out.

"Woah. Hey, check this out!" Chloe said, popping the blonde out of her bubble storm. She hadn't even realized they were already off the rails.

Rachel looked up at her. "What?" Her crush gestured at the American Rust junkyard. "Great. It's a pile of trash."

"Uh, _yeah_ , an awesome pile of trash. Let's explore."

"You have fun, Chloe. I'm gonna go sit down." Rachel sat on a crate, wine still on hand. After a long beat, Chloe sat on the rusted car behind her, annoying Rachel even if she was just fidgeting in place. "Chloe, I'd really like some space right now."

"Okay..." Chloe got up, but then swiveled around. "Actually, _no_. I thought we were having a great day together. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?"

"I'm not acting like anything. I just want to be left alone right now."

"No, I don't understand. You can't just turn on me for no reason."

Rachel stood up abruptly to face her. "I'm sorry, turn on you? I guess I forgot, it's always about how you feel, isn't it? _Sad Chloe's fucking sad again_. Maybe you should try giving a shit about other people for once."

"Are you serious right now?" Chloe yelled.

Rachel threw her wine bottle. It landed on a barrel. "Fuck!" She let out a groan. _Chloe, why can't you just shut up for a few more hours?_ She sat on her previous seat. _I don't wanna deal with you right now_.

"Here. If you really wanna smash something, this should do the trick."

Rachel turned to look at Chloe, who was offering her a bat. She stood up, grabbed the bat and threw it to the side. "I told you to leave me alone."

"Are you kidding me? I know you're the school princess and all—with the DA daddy, and the perfect grades and all the perfect little minions kissing your perfect ass, but seriously—fuck you."

"Great. I'm leaving." _Before we both say more stuff we regret_. Rachel refused to believe Chloe would use other people's labels of her and not find out who she was herself. They were too worked up now. "See you around, Chloe." Rachel started heading towards the tracks.

"You can't leave!"

"Watch me."

"Rachel, wait. Don't go," Chloe begged, her eyes creating a stream below her lashes and her voice breaking.

Rachel turned around and met her gaze. "Why not?"

"Because... because I don't want to ruin this the way I ruin everything else in my life."

Rachel stepped forward, realizing that she was treating Chloe like she was a problem, like an obstacle in her way. But did it really mean anything to her anyway? "And what is 'this' exactly?"

"I mean... _fuck,_ are you really going to make me say it?"

"Say what?"

"You know... like a friendship, but... more."

"Ah..." Rachel let out, taken completely off-guard. _Chloe really felt the same? After this short time?_

"I know. _Weird_ , right? It's just, today was the best day I've had since... since my dad died. And when I almost ruined everything now, the way I ruin everything, it made me realize... whatever's going on between us is special." Chloe stared at her with puppy eyes and heart on the sleeve. "Come on, say something."

Rachel blinked, trying her best to process this. She stepped in a few inches from her face. "Chloe, I'm sorry. I'm really, _really_ sorry. But... I can't." Rachel wiped Chloe's tears by cupping her cheeks, just needing to make her feel her words. "I can't, even though I want to."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't. I know it isn't fair." Rachel just couldn't tell anyone—including Chloe—that a public figure like her father was a cheater. Rachel hated herself for trying to protect him, even now. "But it's how it is. Goodbye, Chloe."

Rachel was finally back on the train tracks. She was finally left alone. She could finally try to make sense of this. She could finally cry. She could finally stop hurting Chloe, who just wanted to ease her pain. But couldn't she just obey _one_ simple request?

Rachel remembered how much her family meant to her, how much she just wanted to make them proud, even if she wasn't completely happy while doing so. But making them happy was enough to keep her going. Enough to put on a pretty face for the school, for everyone. Enough to give them her wanted attention. Enough to be _fake_.

The smoke in her brain began to fade as she became honest with herself, roaming in the upcoming night and stopping in front of a tree, her feet feeling too sore. Rachel's mind drifted, thinking about what Chloe had said: She felt _something_ for her. Rachel had finally gotten her wish. Rachel had finally gotten the girl. But she'd been so fed up with everything that she couldn't tell her she felt the same. She couldn't tell her that this was a dream come true because her reality turned out to be a lie.

Her father didn't deserve her protection and even if she still wanted to protect him anyway, she was sure Chloe wouldn't tell anyone. Rachel groaned. She was cold and alone, now regretting pushing Chloe away. She wished Chloe was here, finally feeling the need for someone to just be there. And her someone was Chloe. But Rachel had fucked it up, _not_ Chloe. And she doubted Chloe would want to talk to her ever again.

But apparently, Rachel hadn't known Chloe that well. She hadn't known Chloe wasn't the type to give up on people easily... because now she heard her footsteps behind her. She peeked, but didn't turn around completely. "You came," Rachel said simply. "I'm glad."

"Hey, I couldn't let the day end with... whatever this afternoon was."

Rachel still couldn't look at her, her heart too warmed by the intention. "Chloe... I want to talk to you about something, but I don't know how to talk about this."

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

 _How did Chloe make it feel so easy with her soft voice?_ Rachel took another glance at her, there was no sign of dishonesty in her eyes. "You remember that guy that we saw under this tree with that woman?"

"The ones who were making out?"

Rachel nodded. "That was my dad."

"Oh... okay," Chloe sounded surprised, but not fully understanding.

"And _that_ woman—" Rachel turned around. "—was definitely not my mom."

" _Oh_."

"The worst part is, I'm not surprised. I've felt like my dad's been lying about something for a while. I just... I didn't know what it was. So when I saw he got a text from an unknown number, asking him to meet, I thought—I thought I could catch him or something." Rachel's shoulders unstiffened. The truth was out.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel. I-I don't know what to say."

"Neither do I. Chloe, I love my dad. I love him and I don't wanna see his fucking face again.

"When my dad died, I was so mad at him. For months, I felt _wrong..._ because half the time I thought of him, I wanted to scream and the other half I forgot..."

"Forgot that anything had changed," Rachel concluded. From what she had heard, Chloe's dad had been amazing, anyone's dream father. It sucked that Chloe had been angry at him for dying, something he didn't have control over. Now Rachel's hatred surfaced. Her dad had made a choice. A choice that hurt everyone. "It's silly, but I've carried this photo around with me for years." Rachel took the picture out of her bag, peered at it and then gave it to Chloe, still not able to see _him_. "It's from Mt. Hood. My dad took me hiking there when I was ten. It started raining, and I fell and I broke my arm three miles from the car. I remember screaming like I was gonna die. But my dad... he carried me down the mountain. I still remember the smell of his coat, how calm he was, and the sound of his voice and..."

Chloe took a step forward, about to comfort her. But Rachel stopped her, not wanting to be touched as she talked about him.

"He was just so strong, you know? I felt safe."

"You trusted him."

"Completely."

"Here." Chloe handed her the photograph back.

Rachel took it. "Chloe, I owe you an apology."

"Hey, we were both kind of the queen of shitty."

"No, I mean it." Rachel turned to face her, show her that she was being genuine. "Whatever's going on between us, it's... intense, and new, and awesome, and you had the courage to tell me that you feel it, too. And I treated you like shit."

"Courage? I don't know if I'd call it that. More like blind desperation. And a slight buzz from that wine."

That was her Chloe again, trying to make light of awful situations. "I just want you to know, I'm lucky that you were with me today. You're a badass, Chloe Price."

" _What—_?"

"Remember that biker asshole who wouldn't let you into the mill? You talked your way right past him."

"You saw that?"

"And those skeevy douchebags who followed you upstairs? Two against one, but you wouldn't take any shit from them."

"I'd be dead if you hadn't thrown that bottle..."

 _Come on, Chloe Price. Stop being selfless for a moment and let me tell you how amazing you are_. "You inspired me." Chloe processed the information and smiled. _Thank you_. "What about Drew? When he was picking on Nathan? You go right in his face and call him out."

"That was pretty sweet, actually."

"See? You're the real thing, Chloe. I don't know anyone like you. Plus, you came along with me, no questions asked."

"Well, I don't really need a good reason to ditch school."

"I guess tomorrow, there'll be hell to pay." Rachel closed her eyes, just thinking about Principal Wells' face...

"My mom might skip grounding and go straight to the death penalty."

Rachel's eyes teared up. "And my dad will definitely punish me with..."

"Fuck him."

" _Fuck him_ ," Rachel repeated.

"What I wouldn't give to leave this place and never look back—"

"What's stopping us?"

"Us?" Chloe looked confused. "Are you serious?"

"There's nothing keeping me here, not anymore."

"So if I came to you tomorrow and told you to pack your bags..."

"I'm serious. Let's do it, Chloe." Rachel smiled. "Let's leave this place forever."

Chloe smiled back. "Okay."

Their gazes intensified and Rachel suddenly felt too shy. She'd really never met someone so trusting... so caring. Her eyes darted to the picture on her hands, contrasting her thoughts. "Can I borrow your lighter?"

Chloe glanced at it, too, and did as she was asked. No second-guessing.

Rachel gave her one more looked and walked to the side, where there was a trash can. "Thank you." She lit it off and in seconds, the picture was burning. Rachel stared at the fire, watching as her father turned to ashes, and threw it inside the bin.

They couldn't stop gazing at the fire. Chloe was the first to break out of the trance. "Come on."

But Rachel didn't hear her. She thought about Mt. Hood. She thought about playing detectives. She thought about her father defending her against the kids' parents. She thought about the family pictures in her house, her bedroom. She thought about her parents kissing on top of the Eiffel Tower. She thought about seeing her dad and mom eat breakfast together this morning. She thought about her dad making out with that woman this afternoon. He was a liar. A liar. A liar.

She ran up to the trash can and kicked it, the fire spreading into the trees as quick as a blink of an eye. And Rachel screamed. She screamed louder than in Mt. Hood, when she broke her fucking arm. She screamed and cried harder, the strength sending her a few steps back.

She placed her hands on her knees and sobbed. Then the sound of everything else wasn't muffled anymore. She could hear the flames crackling, feel the smoke entering her lungs. Fuck him. Fuck him. _Fuck him_.

Rachel screamed again, her shoulders finally unstiffening. Resigned and worn out, she finally looking upon the mess she had made: the tree she'd been in front of was alight, just as the forest around it mimicking it. This wasn't something she planned and she wished she could give a fuck, but at this point, all she could think about was: Fuck the town and everyone on it.


	4. Nodus Tollens

Chloe made sure Rachel got to her block safely, as if she was worried she'd do something else. Rachel entered her house to find her mom and dad come up to her instantly, worry showing in their faces.

Her mom put her hands on her shoulders and then hugged her. "Where were you, sweetheart? The school called and said you weren't on class, though your father had taken you to school."

Rachel pulled away, proceeding to head upstairs. "I'm tired."

But her father grabbed her arm. "We imagined the worst, Rachel. Then the principal said you left with another student, you didn't answer your phone and we thought you got hurt in the fire."

"I _did_ leave with another student," she said, shaking him off. "I'm okay. Now let me go. I _am_ tired."

"Fine, don't tell me. But tomorrow we have a meeting with Ray in the morning to clear things up."

"Fine." Rachel went up the stairs.

When she finally reached her room, she laid in bed on her side. Rachel felt drained after letting it all out, no tears left to drop. She just wanted to forget about today—she glanced at the mints in her bedside table—except for Chloe and how she made her feel.

The way Chloe had trembled in the junkyard, as if it'd be the last time they see each other. The way Chloe gave in to her touch when she wiped her tears. Chloe almost looked like she wished her tears were glue so Rachel would never let go of her...

Chloe Price wasn't some heartless bitch. She cared deeply for the people left in her life—she just didn't care about herself, which upset Rachel.

Rachel swallowed a couple of mints, maybe her mouth still smelled like wine, and then checked her blog. _Damn_ , she had a lot of messages. Each one of them contained the word: Fire. She shut her laptop down, not even noticing her mom had entered the room with a tray on hand.

"I thought you might be hungry," Rose said calmly, placing it next to her.

Rachel wanted to cry at the gesture. Her mom had no idea her husband was a cheating scumbag. "Thanks, mom."

Rose just smiled at her daughter and kissed her forehead, making her way out of the room.

"I'm sorry," Rachel blurted out and the woman turned.

Her mom frowned. "For what?"

"I... uh, for worrying you."

"I'm just glad that you're safe." Rose smiled at her one last time and left her alone to eat.

Rachel wrinkled her nose and buried her face on the pillow. Her mother was a saint, not deserving of her husband's sins. She just wanted to hit him for being so stupid... That reminded her, her dad didn't punish her. He didn't push. He didn't lash out at her and make her cry. _Why?_

Did he see her? Did he want her to keep his disgusting secret? No way... they were far too high for that whore and that woman to see them. Even Rachel had to use a viewfinder to spot them better.

Maybe since it was school related, her dad would just let Wells deal with it, let Wells decide if Rachel's gonna be punished or not. The thought scared her.

Suddenly, her cellphone buzzed and she saw she had a text from Chloe. _You okay?_ she'd written.

 _Made it into my house without seeing either of my parents!_ Rachel lied, not even sure why. Maybe lying was just a habit when it came to them. A bad one.

 **Chloe:** sweet! u were born to be a spy, jumping out of trains and shit

Rachel blushed. _Oh man. We'd make such a great team. No enemy viewfinder would ever be safe from you again_.

 **Chloe:** haha, meanwhile you're deep undercover as a passed out person

Rachel grinned. _LOL. Today was unforgettable_. Then images of her father kissing that woman, snapping at Chloe and the fire surfaced. _Some of it sucked_.

 _yeah_ , Chloe replied simply, not liking being reminded of the bad times.

Rachel decided to not let those ruin her bond with Chloe. _You know what doesn't suck?_

 **Chloe:** what?

 **Rachel:** You.

 **Chloe:** you also don't suck

 **Rachel:** I know.

 **Chloe:** we should probably sleep. got wells tomorrow morning

Rachel didn't even realize it was one after midnight. _Yeah. My fault_

 **Chloe:** worth it

Rachel felt a whole lot better, making it easier for her to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, the dining room was quiet. Her dad had glanced at her once, probably suspecting that her not telling him about yesterday made her guilty of something. Rachel wanted to return the same judging and disappointed look. Her mom seemed too anxious to speak about even having to go to the principal's office. Rachel had never been in trouble before and she liked the thrill she was feeling, forgetting about the fact that she could be punished.

When they got to Blackwell and the meeting started, Wells was just pointing fingers at Chloe since she didn't have the best record, pushing Rachel to tell the truth when she realized Wells would expel Chloe. In exchange, Rachel had the role of Prospera taken from her and the show was _tonight_. But Chloe then took the fault for her, despite Rachel's warnings, and got expelled.

 _Silly, Chloe, getting expelled just so Rachel could be on a play_.

For a moment, Rachel had heard a glimpse of her old dad when he tried defending her, saying it had been her first infraction and that she loved The Tempest. But remembering his face earlier, she knew it'd been all an act to look like a caring father in front of Chloe's mother. That's what her father was: an act.

Chloe's mother Joyce seemed like a total sweetheart—hardworking and loving, also noticing Wells' bullshit— _raw_ , not afraid to call him out. Rachel couldn't wait to see her more often.

When the meeting finished, she asked Chloe to see her later at the junkyard. Now... it was time to hear it from her parents. _Great_.

But surprisingly, Chloe had not only fooled Wells but her dad, too. She realized Chloe saved her big time from a punishment. Now Rachel would have to do her best to make it up to her.

* * *

Since it was Saturday, Rachel didn't have to stay for class. In a time like this, she'd rather be pretending to listen to an uneventful lecture than take a ride with her parents. Even though her dad wouldn't do anything to her, she still had to be in the same car with them. Rachel just wanted space to breathe.

She texted Chloe, _Wells blows. That meeting hella sucked_.

Chloe answered in a bit, _you're HELLA weird_

Rachel grinned. _YOU ARE_

"So you guys are friends?" James asked.

"Yeah..." she trailed off. "We hanged out at the concert."

"I don't remember you mentioning her before. I mean, you were willing to give up the play for her, just like she willed her future for you."

 **Chloe:** seriously it's ok. yesterday was worth it

"She wasn't doing well in school, like Principal Wells said, so I think she was going to punished anyway. He was just... attacking her left and right. I'd never seen Wells like that." Her principal also wore a mask in front of her, even as his assistant first period. He was also a lie.

 **Rachel:** seriously we'll get revenge

"Ray was definitely unfair to that girl... Chloe, right?" her mom asked.

"Yes, Chloe." Rachel smiled, happy her mother bothered to learn her name. "She's awesome."

" _Huh_ ," James mumbled, thinking of the allegations Wells made about the short haired punk. He just hoped Rachel would be a good influence on her if they were true.

 **Rachel:** Chloe Price

 **Chloe:** i don't suck?

 **Rachel:** You really really don't.

 **Chloe:** my mom thinks i do. dunno if i can stand going home tonite

When her family got home—if you could call it that anymore, another lie—Rachel went to her room, thinking of how Chloe's mother must be disappointed in her. Chloe definitely put on a show, offending Wells and even Rachel, who understood her motives.

Rachel just hoped Chloe was feeling okay. Not because she was expelled, but because she let down a person she cared about. Rachel thought of ways to cheer her up.

Well, now that Chloe wasn't a student and probably didn't have plans to get on another school, Rachel assumed she'd be working on a truck in the junkyard. She sure would be spending a lot of time there, especially with an unemployed stepladder at home (and _yes_ , she'd been thinking of nicknames after Chloe described him as a dildo with a mustache).

 **Chloe:** still there?

 **Rachel:** Grabbing something from home, then I'll meet you at the junkyard.

She opened her closet and looked for outfits Chloe would like, also the thought of her crush in her clothes made her heart flutter.

When Rachel was finished, she placed the clothes on a bag and sent Chloe a quick text. _See you really soon!_

 **Chloe:** you better

* * *

Inside Chloe's now decorated truck—which couldn't start yet—Rachel and Chloe shared a much-needed therapy session. Pretending Chloe was on a chaise, she laid on the front seat, head on Rachel's lap, Rachel softly running her fingers through her scalp. She told her that her stepfather was moving in, which made her life way worse. Rachel made sure to give her the proper advice by naming him stepladder, which was totally not proper, but she made Chloe laugh so it was.

Then Chloe talked about the fire she started and Rachel opened up about her liberosis, saying she'd been inspired by a stunning new person in her life.

Suddenly, Chloe sat back up and it was Rachel's turn and all her feelings jumbled up. Her father was a piece of shit. An actor. A liar.

She laid her head on Chloe's shoulder, needing to _feel_ the support, and thought about her tainted memories with him. She just wished that kiss could have been a lie on a stage, like those Coca Cola commercials that buy you off with happiness. Have the director yell "Cut!" at the end.

But that didn't happen... and it would never. It sucked because once you caught a lie that hurts others, it's up to you to tell the truth and hurt others.


	5. Opia

After they talked, Rachel presented the bag full of her clothes to Chloe, who seemed happy about it. _Mission accomplished_. And then Rachel went back to school to get ready for the play.

Already dressed on the final version of her devilish costume, she did her makeup on her—well, the girls'—dressing room. A few other fellow actresses were there, none remotely close to Rachel. Until Dana came in a little late.

"Hey, Rach," her friend said. "You ready?"

"Dana!" Rachel smiled, content to have someone she wanted to talk to. And even though the whole thing with her dad happened, she convinced herself to forget about it for tonight. She would not be herself in a while anyway, placing herself in Prospera's skin. "Of course. You?"

"Yeah, I mean, I just have short dialog and am asleep for a whole scene. I'd say I'm good to go. You're basically the entire play."

"No pressure at all." Rachel laughed. Though Dana had mentioned all the reasons she shouldn't be nervous, she seemed to be more than Rachel, talking too quickly. She put a hand on Dana's shoulder. "You'll do great."

"Thanks." Dana smiled back, her shoulders relaxing and one of them proceeding to bump her friend. "So... you and Chloe Price?"

Rachel cocked her head. Well, she hadn't been exactly private about hanging out with her punk—Rachel wanted the world to see how awesome she was, but at the same time, she wanted Chloe all to herself.

"You're blushing!"

" _Shh!_ " Rachel hissed, smacking her shoulder. "No, I'm not!"

"You're totally into each other," Dana said lower this time. "I saw those heart eyes yesterday in class."

"Then why do you ask?"

" _Because_ I wanna know if something happened!"

Rachel searched for any sign in Dana's face, a reason not to tell her. But she genuinely wanted to know just because they were friends and that's what friends did. "Okay. I'll tell you and only you."

Dana nodded, getting the message. Rachel stood up and walked away, deciding to go somewhere more private. Her friend followed the beaming blonde behind and they were suddenly inside the school.

Rachel entered the drama club classroom, which was empty due to everything being outdoors. She sat on the tiny stage and Dana sat next to her, offering a kind and exciting expression. "So I skipped school with her yesterday and we played two truths and a lie to get to know each other. It worked and, Dana, she's really badass and dorky."

"I kind of got that vibe when she talked about true love." Dana suddenly squealed. "Oh, my god. She was totally talking about _you!_ "

"I know!" Rachel squealed too, needing to get her own excitement out of her body to keep going. "So then we were at the overlook and we looked for people to make up their conversations—"

"What we did with Mr. Keaton!"

"Yeah, exactly. She's hilarious." Rachel giggled over the memory, but it died down as she remembered what came up next. Refusing to dwell over that now, she composed her features. Like always. "Then we stole some wine and drank as we walked on the train tracks to American Rust."

"That old junkyard?"

"Uh huh, then Chloe told me she felt something for me."

Dana screamed so loud, Rachel had to place her hand over her mouth so the whole town didn't hear her. The blonde released her eventually. "So what did you say?"

Flashes of Chloe's crying face popped in her mind, how warm her tears and skin felt. How Rachel left without an explanation. How she was alone and regretful. How Chloe didn't give up on her. "That she was courageous for telling me and that what we have is new, special and awesome—that I felt it, too."

"Did you kiss?"

"No..." Rachel admitted. "Maybe we both knew it was too soon." _Or maybe I started a fire_.

Dana frowned, knowing Rachel Amber wasn't like that and then smiled playfully in realization. "You got shy on her?"

Rachel opened her mouth to defend her pride, but it was better not to. She was so shitty yesterday, it just wasn't the time. "I think I'm falling for her. For real."

" _Awww_ ," Dana gushed and put a supportive arm around her. "You got this, Rach."

"Thank you, Dana." Rachel smiled and didn't feel that bad about keeping the ugly parts out. It wasn't a lie that Rachel has been in love with Chloe for a while now. Chloe was everything Rachel imagined and more. _Better_.

Suddenly a phone buzzed. Rachel took hers out of her pocket and saw she had a message from Chloe, _I'm backstage_.

"Speak of the devil," Dana said, glancing at her screen.

"More like an angel," Rachel replied, _great omw_. "I gotta go. It was nice talking to you about her."

"It really was. Now go get your girl." They stood up and shared a hug, heading over to the backstage.

Rachel noticed everyone was already dressed and outside the tents, talking with their friends. She entered her dressing room to find Chloe leaned against a dressing table, her hands on her back. She grinned at the sight of her. "Chloe..."

"Rachel..." Chloe stepped forward until she was in front of her. She pulled out a bouquet of roses from her back. "These are for you."

Rachel took them gracefully, her grin even bigger if possible and her face feeling too hot. "They're beautiful, Chloe. Thank you very much. I love them."

"I still think it's dumb, but... break a leg."

Rachel gazed at her. Back in Chloe's truck, she had told her _Good Luck_ and Rachel explained why that was bad luck. "Thanks again—"

"Sweet tartanions, we're ruined!" Mr. Keaton yelled. "The show is ruined!"

They shared a worried look. Rachel left her flowers and they headed outside to see the rest of the crew in front of the teacher, who anxiously played with his hands.

"My dear young artists, a misfortune most unkind has befallen us. Juliet waylaid. That infernal inferno is the culprit, closing down the roads and robbing is of our Ariel." He pointed towards the burning forest in the distance, Rachel feeling a little guilt. "Would that she could but manifest on her master's whim as a true spirit. Alas..." Mr. Keaton looked up in the air dramatically. "Devoid of an understudy, this situation is a dire one indeed. I'm afraid we might have to cancel."

Nobody looked bummed about that possibility, except for some of the girls, including Rachel. Rachel really loved The Tempest, not to mention Chloe had gotten expelled... _Chloe_.

"Truly we are a cursed lot. Even my prodigious imagination cannot conceive of a worse turn of fate."

With the idea already on her mind, no real cons included, Rachel backed up to Chloe, rocking back and forth with a smirk.

"What?" Chloe asked and then her eyes widened. "Oh, no. No fucking chance."

"Mr. Keaton!" Rachel put her hand on Chloe's lower back and brought her forward. "Chloe could step in for Juliet, at least until the road is clear."

A light shunned on the teacher's eyes. "The romantic..."

"She's the right fit for Juliet's costume."

"She is indeed." He clasped his hands together. "Tell me, darling, have you ever acted before?"

"Hell no," Chloe answered.

"She's being modest," Rachel jumped in. "We play improv. games _all_ the time and she's fantastic at it."

"My dear." Mr. Keaton looked back at the romantic again. "What if I told you the entire fate of this production rests upon your slender shoulders?"

"I'd say you're super fucked."

"Please, Chloe," Rachel begged, giving her best puppy eyes. "For me."

Chloe stared at them for a few seconds. Then, not being able to hold it, she sighed. "Damn it. Fine."

"Splendid!" Mr. Keaton exclaimed. "Rachel, may you aid Chloe with Ariel's feathers?"

"My pleasure," Rachel said, grinning like crazy. She grabbed Chloe's hand and dragged her to the dressing room. Now that they were alone, Rachel hugged her, though it was still a bit hard because of the height difference. "My savior!"

"C'mon..." Chloe said, embarrassed. "It's not that big of a deal."

"It _is_ ," Rachel insisted and she pulled away. "You understand how much this means to me and I really appreciate it. Don't shrug it off, this means a lot."

Chloe smiled, feeling a little proud of herself as she took every word in. "Okay..."

"Now let's get you into that costume, shall we?"

* * *

"I took your phone and texted your mom about the play, by the way. I hope you don't mind." Rachel waited outside the curtain for Chloe to finish changing and then put the last bits of makeup and sparkles on her skin. They had rehearsed as Rachel did makeup and painted Chloe's cheeks blue.

Chloe chuckled. "She will love that— _wait_ , am I a bird?"

Rachel laughed. "You didn't get that from the script?"

"Oh... like a caged bird."

"Yeah."

"Don't laugh."

"I would never." Rachel watched as her crush came out in a blue dress with feathers. Chloe tried smiling and Rachel burst out laughing.

"Oh, lord..." Chloe started going back in.

"I'm sorry!" Rachel pulled her in front of her. "You look amazing, it's just I've never imagined you in a costume. Or maybe I have..."

"Creep."

Rachel scoffed and sat Chloe on the dressing table to give her the final touches. "You seriously rock this costume."

Chloe glanced down. "I look ridiculous."

Rachel put her finger on Chloe's chin and brought her eyes to hers. "You look beautiful."

Chloe didn't say anything after that, either speechless or still in denial.

"Is our Ariel ready to descend?" Mr. Keaton's voice rang from outside the tent.

"Almost!" Rachel said and gave Chloe a reassuring smile. "You'll be amazing."

"You too."

They got up and walked towards the exit. "Wait," Rachel ran back. "I almost forgot about this."

" _What_ —" Chloe turned around and Rachel placed the bird hat on top of her head. "Ouch."

"Now we're ready." Rachel had to sadly separate from Chloe, not given the opportunity to throw another joke. But in a few moments, the music would be playing and Prospera would be stepping into the stage.

* * *

Prospera put Miranda to sleep, laying her on a rock. "Tis is a good dullness and give it away. I know thou canst not choose. Come away, servant, come!" Chloe didn't come right away. "Approach, my Ariel, come!"

Ariel walked to her side. "All hail, great mistress. I come to answer thy best pleasure."

"Most fearless, generous spirit!" Prospera exclaimed to Chloe's raspy voice. "Hast thou performed the tempest that I bade thee?"

"I boarded the King's ship; in every cabin, I flamed amazement. The fire and cracks of sulfurous roaring the most mighty Neptune seem'd to besiege and makes his bold waves tremble."

"My brave spirit!" _My brave Chloe_. "Who was so firm, so constant that this coil would not infect his reason?"

"Not a soul. The King's son, Ferdinand, was the first man that leaped from his ship and cried Hell is empty and all the devils are here."

"But are they, Ariel, safe?" Prospera asked.

Ariel flew towards the wooden ship. _Yes! Chloe saw the note I left before the curtain_ _fell_. "Not a hair perished and as thou bad'st me, I have dispersed them 'bout the isle—" Ariel jumped down from the ship. "—in troops!"

"Ariel, thy charge exactly is performed. But there's more work."

"Is there more toil? Let me remind thee what thou hast promised."

"How now? What is 't thou canst demand?"

"My liberty."

"Thy _liberty_?" Prospera repeated. Suddenly, Rachel imagined her life without Chloe. How Chloe talked about dying the night they met. Now that Rachel had her in her life, she didn't wanna let her go. Rachel found someone who understood her, someone who made her genuinely laugh. "Nay. This wish most of all I will not grand!"

A flash of confusion crossed Chloe's eyes. "But thou assured my freedom, didn't thou?"

"I never said how dearly I hold thee. My habit's been to keep my soul well-draped," Rachel admitted the truth about herself. She never fully opened up to someone until Chloe. "Most loyal spirit, companion and... friend, is acting in thy service not replete with excitement, amusement, and delight?"

Chloe lost herself in the moment, feeling how yesterday was the best day of her life. "Of course, mistress. Most truly it is so."

"Then why, I pray you, wish you to be free?"

"Excitement's a mere... counterfeit of bliss—these storms and these adventures? I'd prefer know if thou still care for my plainest self."

Rachel stomped her stick hard on the floor. Chloe _couldn't_ be leaving her alone in Arcadia Bay. Rachel wouldn't leave without her now... or _ever_. "I have thee in my grasp, I will not bend. I will not see thee flying forth alone. The envy would be more than I could bear."

"So come with me!" Chloe urged. "Is that not in thy power?"

"Spirit, take my hands, most faithful friend... " Rachel grabbed Chloe's hands as she kneeled down and left her stick behind. Chloe held them back instantly. "For but a little longer I beseech, continue in thy service to my schemes and when they are complete, I swear to thee: We shall fly beyond this isle, the corners of the world our mere prologue. I'll seek to make thy happiness _so_ great, that e'en the name of liberty's forgot. What sayest thou to my most hopeful wish?"

Dana considered to break her sleeping role to yell "Say yes!" But, thankfully, someone in the crowd did it for her.

Chloe smiled widely. "Yes."

"I am most pleased," Rachel said. Then Prospera sent Ariel off now that her duty was done.

* * *

The rest of the play went along successfully. The actors presented themselves to the crowd and then, finally, Mr. Keaton. Rachel was receiving a lot of applauds, but something didn't feel right. No offense, but this wasn't something she wanted to share with her fellow crew. Just her first mate.

She turned around and saw Chloe clapping from the backstage. Rachel walked up to her and pulled her to the front, even if she was refusing. "Wasn't that awesome?"

"Oh, you're so dead."

"How dead?"

"Hella dead."

Rachel grinned, it being the first time Chloe used the Cali word _hella_. She wondered if Rachel would be telling people to fuck off more often now that she would be spending a lot of time with her crush.

Rachel sure hoped so and as she looked at her father on the crowd, she had a good idea on who to start.


	6. Kairosclerosis

After getting off the stage, Chloe just wanted to change so she and Rachel went straight to the dressing room. Rachel wasn't about to complain, Chloe indeed saved the play. And they indeed made a pact, a promise.

"Can we _pleeeease_ take a picture?" Rachel insisted. "I know the school photographers already did, but you know, behind the scenes stuff."

"Didn't know you would get flustered over such a simple plea."

"I just don't want you to say _no_."

"I wasn't. I get it, immortalize the moment and shit."

" _Exactly_. And you secretly want it, too." Rachel winked at her and held up her Huawei, trying to fit the two of them, but Chloe's bird hat was too big and you couldn't really see it.

Chloe took the phone from her, stretching her long arm higher. "Alright, shortie, let me have this one."

Rachel shot a quick glare at Chloe and then shot her supermodel smile to the camera as her crush snapped the photo. "Thanks... _giraffe_."

Chloe returned the device. "Is that really the best you could come up with?"

"Shut up." Rachel stored it on her bag and then looked at a grinning Chloe. "You're totally happy, birdie."

Chloe's eyebrows lifted in surprise, that was definitely a better retort. She opened her mouth, but someone entered the tent.

" _Chloe Elizabeth Price!_ " her mom chimed in, hugging her daughter tightly, and Rachel smiled. "You were spectacular!"

"Mom, please..." Chloe groaned, looking uncomfortable.

Joyce pulled away and noticed Rachel in the room. "Hi, Rachel. You were as well."

"Thank you, Mrs..." Rachel didn't know if to say Price. It'd been two years since she lost her husband and she was currently dating stepladder.

"It's Joyce, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Joyce."

Now Joyce turned back to her daughter. "Let me take pictures for the family album!"

Chloe seemed annoyed, probably because they had just taken one, but she gave in anyway, not wanting to let down her mom again after getting expelled. "Fine."

Joyce took out her camera and then glanced at Rachel. "You too."

Rachel chuckled and walked next to Chloe, placing her arm around her waist and smiling proudly at the woman and Chloe.

When their little photoshoot was done, they finally got out of their costumes. Chloe had told her mom she would be spending the night with Rachel to not worry her on her whereabouts, something that seemed like a consistent problem. Rachel was glad she texted Joyce because just this morning, Chloe believed her mother thought she sucked. Now she knew she was proud of her.

Rachel posted their picture online, labeling it: _My Ariel_. Then she found her parents, pretending one of them wasn't a piece of shit as her mother hugged her, and gave them her bag and roses to take home.

She left the school with Chloe and now that they were far away from everyone, Rachel couldn't help but feel genuinely happy; breathing fresh air, dancing on the empty streets and giggling at everything that went down. The fireflies remained close to the streetlights in the neighborhood and Chloe remained close to her side. "Oh, my god. Keaton's face when you walked on stage."

"Ugh, I was shitting myself."

" _He_ was shitting himself," Rachel defended.

"That dude owes me."

Rachel took a deep breath to do her best impression of Mr. Keaton. "My dear, what if I told you the fate of our production rests upon your _slender_ shoulders?" They laughed. "I never had an experience like that onstage!"

"Yeah, right? You were..."

"No," Rachel cut her off, walking backwards. " _You_ , like seriously..." She hopped to the sidewalk's edge, twirling with her tiptoes on the cement. "I love nights after a show!"

"Is it always like this?" Chloe asked, rocking her arms back and forth.

"Oh, totally. It's such a high, no more nerves, just the adrenaline." Rachel jumped back into the street, landing successfully and putting her hands on her waist. "So, first-timer, are you proud of yourself? You were literally perfect tonight, I was blown away."

Chloe smiled at her words. "Yeah, definitely. Though right now is pretty good, too."

"Magical." Rachel circled Chloe until she was next to her, offering her her forearm. Chloe took her hand instead and they kept walking.

This wasn't the first time they had held hands, but it was the first time it felt intimate, their hearts beating faster as they stole glances at each other.

"Well..." Chloe started shyly. "Everything's been magical since we started hanging out "

Rachel pulled away to look at Chloe. She was right. And Rachel didn't want that to end like the original Tempest, where Ariel just flew away from her grasp. "Let's leave. For real."

"For real, huh?"

"You said you wanted to skip town and never look back." Rachel grabbed a lamppost and swung around it to only meet Chloe's gaze again. "Like I said last night, let's do it."

"I know, I've been thinking about it all day!" Chloe said. "But that was—"

"Don't say it was a crazy thought, I saw the look on your face. You meant it."

"Yeah. But, like... eventually!"

"Didn't we already agreed onstage?" Rachel said, confused, like a kid who was promised a pony for Christmas but got carbon instead.

"We can't just—"

"Why not?"

"My mom... I'm the only one she has left." Chloe trailed off, looking deep in thought. "Forget it, I guess she has David now."

Rachel felt sad about that, but if that was reason enough for Chloe, it was for Rachel too. "Anything else?"

"A car?"

"I thought you were fixing that truck in the junkyard."

"I was just... seeing if I could."

"Well, can you or can't you?"

"Yeah, I can," Chloe said confidently.

"That's hot..." _Did I say that out loud? Who cares? It was_. Chloe rolled her eyes. "In other words," Rachel continued. "We got transportation covered. I already got my birthday money—or, should I say—hush money from my dad. It's more than enough for a start."

Chloe sighed. "Fine, then, drama queen. Where are we going?"

"You tell me. What unique twisted location does Chloe Price and Rachel Amber equal?"

"Why don't you show me L.A.?"

"Perfect. Sixty degrees every night. You and me on the Santa Monica Pier, gorging on food truck food, smoking up, looking at the moon shining on the waves. And a beautiful blonde man will sit next to us and smile at you—"

"Yeah, okay," Chloe interrupted.

"He'll say, _I like your eyes_ ," Rachel made a deep man's voice. "And I'll say, _Back off, she's with me_."

Chloe hit her shoulder. "You're full of shit!"

"I love this time of night. Don't you feel like anything's possible?" Rachel twirled around, throwing her arms in the air as she laughed under the spotlight.

"Rachel... _stop_. If you don't mean this, it's just making me feel like shit that this life you're describing isn't going to happen."

"For fuck's sake, I've never been more serious in my life!" Rachel grabbed Chloe's wrists from the sidewalk and spun them around, showing her it wasn't just her spotlight. It was theirs. She stopped. "Chloe, what would it take to convince you?"

"How about..." Chloe trailed off, looking at her lips.

With no second thought, Rachel stepped forward and got on her tiptoes as she closed her eyes to reach Chloe's mouth, her hands cupping her cheeks and Chloe's landing on her waist. If Rachel thought she was feeling happy before, it didn't compare to this. To a dream come true.

They pulled away when they needed to breathe. "Are you convinced now?" Rachel asked softly, her mouth feeling swollen, yet hungrier.

"Yeah—"

Rachel reconnected their lips, this second kiss turning into a full make out. Her arms around Chloe's neck, her fingers tangled in her hair. Chloe's tongue fighting hers. Rachel pinning her back to the lamppost. They wished they could remain here, frozen in time, forever.

"Holy shit," Chloe breathed out.

"Right?" Rachel answered softly, feeling something light fall on her head.

Chloe looked up too, facing her palm to the sky to catch the ashes. "What is this stuff?"

"I think it's a sign," Rachel said. "I think we should leave tonight."

"Really?"

Rachel put a strand of hair behind her ear, like she always did when she was timid. "If you want to, I'm ready."

Chloe gazed at her again, reaching out her arm to remove the ash from her hair, her fingers sliding down to her feather earring. It was the warmest Rachel had ever felt. "That sounds perfect."

Rachel grinned happily. "Let's go sneak some clothes and stuff from my house"

"For you or for me?"

"I gotta say, my clothes look _damn good_ on you."

"Cool, let's do this."

"Then we'll get the hell out of Arcadia Bay." Rachel took Chloe's hand and led the way.

* * *

The walk to the Amber's was comfortably quiet, everything they were feeling inside was showing on their faces. Chloe seemed astonished at how luxurious her house was. But right now, seeing that the lights were on, that was the place Rachel wanted to be the least in. _C'mon, just get your shit and go._

Rachel carefully opened and closed the door, barely making any sound. She spotted her mom in the kitchen, making dinner. Her stomach twisted. Rachel would be leaving her mother behind with her cheating dad. She wished she could go hug her one last time. But she knew that if she did, she might just not go.

 _Or would she?_

Rachel had seen her mom all her life, why couldn't she see the world for the rest of it? Was that selfish? If her mom found out about her dad kissing that woman, would Rachel be the only one she has left just like Joyce with Chloe?

She mentally slapped herself for having doubts. She had already convinced Chloe, who's insecurity was probably why Rachel was having her own.

Chloe raised her finger guns and Rachel raised her pointer finger to her lips, gesturing her to not make any noise in her mind and inside the house. To take this seriously.

But as Chloe followed her upstairs, Rachel's dad was coming down. _Fuck_.

"Oh, you're home," he announced, as if you could call it that still. "Rose, Rachel's home and she, um, brought her new friend!"

Her mom cleaned her hands and walked towards them. "Our stars returns!" She hugged Rachel. "You're just in time. Dinner's almost ready." She pulled away and glanced at her crush, not that she knew that. "Chloe, was it?"

"Nailed it. I must have been pretty memorable."

"You were," Rose said, probably not realizing Chloe meant at the principal's office today and not the play. "I get the sense that you're used to making an impression."

"Speaking of impressions, Rachel, honey, you were _resplendent_ tonight," her dad mentioned.

"Thanks," she answered, not looking grateful at all.

"Chloe, you must join us for dinner," her mom offered.

"She _must_?" Rachel repeated.

"I must?" Chloe echoed.

"I made chicken a la king," Rose continued. "I'm sure you both acted up quite the appetite."

"Yeah, no thanks," Chloe said. "I'm more of a burger a la king kind of gal."

Her mother looked at her daughter. "She's funny, this one."

Rachel's frown turned into a smile. "I'm aware."

"Chloe, I know we didn't exactly meet each other at our best this morning. But with you and Rachel becoming such fast friends, I insist you join us for dinner. Don't you agree, Rachel?"

"Yes, of course," Rachel lied. "Chloe, would you join us for dinner? Please?"

"Of course," Chloe said, unsureness in her voice.

"Great. I need to... wash off, then I'll be right down."

"Don't be long," her mom said. "In the meantime, perhaps you can help me with the table, Chloe?"

"Sure thing, Mrs. Amber."

Her mother returned to the kitchen and James sat on the living room, a newspaper in hand. _Yeah, dad, you help so much_. "Okay, I'm going to pack. After dinner, we can make our break. You cool down here?" Rachel asked.

"Just hurry back, I don't know how long I can keep this up."

"Try doing it your whole life."

"They love me, though." Chloe winked.

Rachel rolled her eyes and looked back her. "And, Chloe, we just need to make it through dinner. Try not to say anything that... you know..."

"That I would normally say?"

"Exactly." Rachel headed upstairs. Had that been a little harsh? She would decide that later, now she needed to concentrate on packing. Clothes. _Yes, Chloe would like these_. Laptop? No, it could be tracked, which meant she couldn't take her phone too. Or at least with the battery on. Health kit? Probably, at least the basics. Hygienic products, done. Thankfully they had a brand new toothbrush and deodorant to spare. And finally, her money.

She went downstairs after putting it all on a bag. Her dad was sitting down on the dining room table with Chloe, her mom was serving them the food. Like Rachel suspected, Chloe wasn't enthusiastic about the chicken and wouldn't be for a burger either. She smiled. _Don't worry, Chloe, Rachel would hide your secret_.

Dinner started with awkward questions about school and Chloe had to remind everyone that she'd been expelled. _Great job_. But it was when Rose had opened the doors to her home to Chloe that Rachel wanted to cry, her mom was so sweet. She would have told Chloe that if they hadn't planned on leaving.

Then James started talking about being grateful for family and taking them for granted. Rachel wanted to scream, placing her fists on her lap. It wasn't like she was eating anyway. She felt Chloe's hand on hers, squeezing it reassuringly and making her feel a little calmer.

Chloe instantly disagreed with him, which surprised everyone, telling him that gratitude is just one more way for the privileged people to tell the unprivileged that they should be happy with what they have. That was true. Just because she gave up Blackwell, didn't mean Chloe was completely careless. She didn't want to settle. And Rachel knows she loves Joyce, but if David was going to be on the picture, dreams that go further form. Like their Santa Monica's.

Rachel's mom kept giving Chloe invisible golden stars for being "politically aware", though her crush was secretly attacking her dad, who was having none of it from the start, making Rachel angrier by the minute. "That was well articulated, Chloe."

"Chloe is an _excellent_ articulator," Rachel commented with a smirk, remembering how in the train Chloe had nervously said, _It's a nice Rachel we're having_ while trying to make small talk about the weather. It was adorable. But of course, Rachel knew her crush was a master at words when it didn't come to a pretty girl.

"Excuse me, dear," James said, very indignant. And that was when he voiced over his own anger at Chloe, who answered that since her progressive attitude wasn't welcome on this house, she would go. _Thank god_ , Rachel thought. Now she would just have to go after her and get her bag. But Rose was definitely not happy with that, saying her husband owed her an apology. But he just made it worse. "I owe her no such thing!" he insisted. "I believe she is willfully acting belligerently, just as she did this morning. It is how people like her respond to adversity!"

" _People like her?_ " Rose repeated, not believing her ears. "So we're profiling now? This is what being a DA has taught you?"

"I resent that. My office is committed to fair and equitable treatment."

"Yes, I've read the press releases."

"Are you calling me a hypocrite?"

"Hah!" Rachel let out, hitting the table with her fists.

"Rachel!" her dad scolded.

"I can't sit here and listen to this bullshit anymore."

"Rachel..."

"Stop it, dad. You're a hypocrite, okay? I know!" she snapped, her father shaking his head. "You lying, cheating, piece of shit motherfucker."

He blinked several times. "Excuse me?"

"We saw you yesterday at the overlook, kissing that woman."

"James...?" Rose asked, her voice shaking, eyes watering.

"Rachel, honey, whatever you saw or think you saw... I know it's hard, but—"

" _Think we saw?_ " Chloe repeated. "Are you trying to gaslight us? There's no thinking involved, we saw you locking lips with some other woman."

"That's enough!" James stood up. "You are not welcome here or around my daughter any longer. I knew exactly what kind of person you were the moment I saw you and I let my wife's compassion get the better of me."

"Oh, what kind of person is that?"

"A delinquent. A broken girl from a broken home."

"That's enough, James!" Rose yelled, standing up too. "I will not have you continue to speak to her like this!"

Suddenly, all the voices started to muffle in Rachel's head, the only distinctive sound being the ticking clock. Her body felt too hot. Maybe it was the candles or what she was feeling inside. Either way, she felt how she lost control of her senses, lifting the salad bowl to drop it down the glass table.

She looked straight at James, pointing an accusing finger at his chest. "Why can't you just tell me the fucking truth? Stop lying. Stop being a politician for one fucking minute. Can't you just... be my dad?"

"Rachel..." James trailed off, realizing something, looking at Rose. "Rose... I'm sorry."

"I could never forgive you, James," her mother said.

"Neither can I," Rachel echoed.

He just nodded and obeyed when Rose told him to get out of the house, no questions asked for tonight.

When the door closed after the seemingly endless walk, Rose sat down on the living room's couch, hands on her forehead. Her daughter came to her side, but she held up her hand, stopping her. "I need some time alone right now, sweetie." Chloe brought her a glass of water since her throat would be dry after crying. "Thank you."

Rachel understood and motioned Chloe to follow her to her room upstairs. She turned on a lamp and sat on the bed, her knees pressed to her chest. She didn't know what to say to Chloe. Her parents were separating. She'd expected this since she saw _it_ happened, but she never imagined how shitty she would feel. She thought it would feel great, her father getting what was coming to him. But she didn't feel great after exposing him. This family had never been perfect, as much as they tried to be, but this was the final straw. Now her dad had profiled Rachel too as a broken girl from a broken home. But she would rather be broken than live in a lie.


	7. Perfect Dark

Rachel hadn't realized that she'd been staring off to space until Chloe told her to look up. Her crush had turned on her night light, making the stars shine on her purple room.

Chloe took the spot in the bed next to her, giving her a single rose. Rachel offered a sad smile, guessing she didn't look grateful by her tear-stained cheeks. "It's beautiful..."

"I thought you might like it."

"I've always loved stars."

"Why?"

"They remind us there's so much beauty out there, which we almost never see."

"Because we're blinded by what's in front of us," Chloe finished.

Rachel scoffed at the thought of her crush reading her thoughts. "Exactly. But then I learned the truth: The stars we're seeing have already been dead for million of years. They're all... lies."

"Fuck the stars, we can make our own."

"Yeah, it's all lies. My dad..." Rachel turned away. "He's the biggest lie of all." She laid on her side, her back to Chloe. "If you would have told me a few years ago he would... cheat on my mom, I wouldn't have believed you. But now I can't trust him. Or anyone. I think you're the only one in the world that I can trust."

"I don't know. I bet there's, like, that one other chick in Australia who's super trustworthy."

Rachel smiled, turning around to look at Chloe reassuringly. "You're one in a hundred infinites, Chloe Price."

Her crush blushed. "You are pretty unique too, Rachel."

"You know... maybe I was wrong before. Who cares if the stars are dead? As long as we can see them, that means they're real to us. Right?"

"Right." Chloe smiled at her as Rachel settled her head on the crook of her neck, the two holding hands, finding comfort in the night light and each other's presence. She grabbed Rachel's hand and squeezed it. "It's going to be okay."

Rachel nodded and smiled back. "I know. I've got you."

Chloe put a strand of hair behind Rachel's ear and suddenly the blonde remembered what had happened earlier. The falling ashes. The streetlight. The...

"So am I a great kisser?" Rachel teased.

"Hmm..." Chloe tilted her head to the side and looked deep in thought. "I think you'll have to remind me."

Rachel scoffed, but happily complied, forgetting about her parents and the broken glass downstairs just by the connection of their lips.

"I don't think good gives you justice."

"It better."

"So..." Chloe fiddled with her fingers. "Is it too late to ask what are we?"

"Well, you already told me you wanted more with me. So do I. And though I feel I've known you all my life, I think we shouldn't rush into this. I wanna get to know you better." _Months of stalking didn't give away dorky and vulnerable Chloe_. _Maybe Bongo's photograph was a sign_.

"I want to get to know you better too, Rachel Amber. _All_ of you. The night I met you, you were such a mystery to me. But after yesterday, I also feel like I've known you forever."

"I'm glad we feel the same way."

"Me too."

Rachel suddenly felt a pulsing under her stomach, so she sat up and tried to focus, remembering her goals and where they were. Was Chloe telling she wanted to know all of her _that_ hot? _Yes_. "Let's leave."

Chloe blinked, surprised this was even an option. "Right now?"

"Yes. To the junkyard, at least. I don't wanna be in this house anymore."

"Okay," Chloe understood, getting up too. Living in the same house where her father used to be and where she used to play with her former best friend was so full of vivid memories. The swear jar. The wine stain. It was all overwhelming.

Rachel grabbed her packed duffle bag and pointed towards the window. "Don't want to come across one of my parents again."

She hopped her legs over and stopped, her hands gripping the edge hard. The roof was a jump away from her window.

"You've never done this before, have you?" Chloe asked, her arms crossed cockily.

 _Good girl_ , Rachel could imagine her think. "Uh, yeah. Of course I have."

Chloe shook her head, not buying it and grabbed the bag from the desktop, where Rachel had left it to climb, and threw it to the roof floor. She easily got there by grabbing a tube attached to the wall, landing steadily without making any loud noise. "C'mon, I'll grab you if you miss."

Rachel mimicked Chloe's moves and jumped, but her last falling foot slipped with a broken tile. But like her crush promised, she had her.

Their bodies were pressed together and Rachel felt the same pulsing from a few moments ago. She suppressed the urge to put a strand of hair behind her ear, too afraid to let go.

"Hey," Chloe mumbled softly, taking a few steps back to get them off the border.

Rachel looked up, meeting her eyes. "Hey."

"Let's keep going." Chloe turned around and took the bag, not looking back to see if her crush was following her.

Rachel bit her lip and jogged after her in a moment. Chloe dropped the bag on the grass of her yard and began sliding down a drainpipe. Rachel went down too and then they ran off to the streets as if they were getting chased, though the streets were empty.

They caught a late night train and sat just like yesterday. Chloe was peering over Arcadia Bay's burning forest. Rachel wondered if she would miss it. Probably not now that she had ruined it.

Chloe suddenly felt her phone vibrate and took it out of her pocket. She chuckled. "Fire alert. And _oh, lord_."

"What?" Rachel asked, now curious.

Chloe showed her the screen. "People want us at the Tempest after party."

"Aw, they're so sweet."

"Really?" Chloe raised an eyebrow, staring at Hayden's dry _Bring Rachel_ text.

"Dana's cool." Rachel smiled at the initial message of her friend inviting them _both_ instead of just her, like everyone else.

She felt like writing to Dana and telling her about kissing Chloe, but she had left her phone. Probably for forever. Rachel thought about never seeing her again, it didn't feel right. At least not without a goodbye. "Feel like partying?"

"Do I have to remind you we're on a train almost out of Arcadia Bay?"

"Which reminds _me_." Rachel pushed her crush lightly on the back.

Chloe let out a tiny gasp. "You wouldn't dare." She gripped Rachel's arms. "I'm bringing you down with me."

Rachel seemed uncomfortable. "You're holding too tight."

Chloe let go quickly. "Oh, sorry."

Rachel pushed her off the train. Chloe rolled on the grass and managed to get her balance somehow, as if she'd had been through this before.

She jumped off after taking the bag, giggling, and rushed over to Chloe, who was rubbing dirt off her clothes.

"That was..." Chloe started, "awesome!"

If it would have been anyone else, Rachel was sure she would get yelled at. She loved when people challenged her because she was more than willing to get the thrill and prove them wrong at the same time. "Totally!"

They walked by the side of the rail tracks until they found the junkyard, joking about what must be going on at the Tempest after party. Let's just say it involved mocking a lot of people.

Chloe wanted to hang out in the truck so they went inside and she turned the blue light on, creating a calm atmosphere already.

Rachel turned on the radio and chose the station, not going for hard rock to keep the mood.

Chloe lit a cigarette and smoked, the smell invading Rachel's nostrils.

"Can I have one?"

Chloe looked at her as of she had a bird on her head, yet handed it to her anyway. " _You_ smoke?"

Rachel placed the cigarette in her lips and let Chloe light it. She felt she did something wrong when she started coughing, pulling it out from her mouth.

"So you don't." Chloe smirked. "You have to inhale a little at the beginning, hold it for a bit and then take a deep breath."

"You knew I didn't know how to smoke and let me do anyway?"

"It's the price of learning. And lying about it."

Rachel blushed, knowing she'd just wanted to impress Chloe, and tried again. She felt like something was burning inside her, but at least she wasn't suffocating. Suddenly, she felt calmer and her shoulders relaxed, the nicotine hitting in.

"See?" Chloe clapped at her. "There you go."

"Thank you." Rachel gazed at her. "Though it's weird, I was always curious."

"So now are you gonna be a smoking hot star?"

"Already am, but maybe I'll try something with flavor. Or something that won't kill me."

"You'd totally love vaping. Who knows? With time, you could do this." Chloe blew a smoke ring.

Rachel peered in awe, her eyes and skin glowing beautifully with the blue light. Her crush thought she looked like an angel. "Give me a smoker's kiss."

Chloe's eyes widened but then focused, bringing the cigarette back to her lips and inhaling. She cupped Rachel's left cheek and brought her to her mouth, exhaling into it.

Rachel felt that fire again. They pulled away for air. "It's still weird, but you made it better."

Chloe smiled. "You're giving me too much credit."

Rachel scoffed and shook her head. "You deserve all the credit. Bet you'd always wanted to try it."

"I mean..." Chloe scratched the back of her neck, like she did when she was nervous to admit something. "I never imagined myself with someone. But I guess I wondered."

"Never?"

"Not until I met you."

Rachel put out Chloe's cigarette and threw it out her window, not being to control that pulsing anymore. She reconnected her lips with Chloe's. Hard. Not realizing she was on top of her.

Chloe put her hands on her waist, kissing back. She knew it was too much when she felt Rachel's tongue inside her mouth. "Hey." She put her hands on Rachel's shoulders. "What happened to not rushing into this?"

"We're just making out. Nothing more."

Chloe glanced at her lap. "Nothing more?"

"Nothing more."

They continued their session until the exhaustion hit them, Chloe yawning into Rachel's mouth. The blonde took out sleeping clothes from her duffel bag and they changed, the two not missing the chance to peek at each other's bodies. Chloe had gone for a white top and gray sweatpants.

They set up a blanket in an old shack by the edge of the junkyard and next to the rail tracks. It wasn't as dusty because, apparently, Chloe had cleaned it up a little when Rachel was getting ready for the play. She had "pimped" it out just like her truck, hanging an elephant mandala and some signs.

They laid down and the only sound left was the chirping of the crickets. "Goodnight," Rachel said.

"Goodnight." When Chloe's crush closed her eyes, she kissed her cheek. Rachel smiled.

* * *

Rachel was the first one to wake up in the morning. Though Chloe had held her at the beginning of their night, Rachel was holding her now. She just loved doing it. But suddenly Chloe shifted and was on her back instead of her side.

Rachel stared at her face, her chest going up and down. She looked so peaceful. It was such a different scene compared to seeing Chloe kicking ass all the time, her skin shining because of the sunlight peeking through the window hole and her light-colored tank top. You could still see the bruise in her eye. Rachel wanted to caress it but was afraid to end Chloe's time out of this tragic world.

She noticed how sweat started forming on her forehead and how the pace in Chloe's chest quickened, the discomfort showing on her features. She let out short high-pitched breaths as if she couldn't breathe. Rachel sat up and began shaking Chloe.

"Dad..." Chloe mumbled. "Dad! No! No!"

"Chloe, wake up!"

Chloe jolted awake with teary eyes and heavy breathing. She was hugging her knees and blinking rapidly.

Rachel was hesitant to touch her but ended up putting her hand on her shoulder to let her know she was here.

"Rachel..." Chloe trailed off and showed her face; revealing very pink skin, sweat and tears.

"Chloe..." Rachel said sympathetically, wiping her eyes with her thumbs. "You're okay. You're here. _I'm_ here."

"It's just so hard sometimes." Chloe's voice broke, which broke Rachel's heart.

Rachel hugged her side and Chloe laid her head on her shoulder, the roles switched since the first time they were in her truck. "Do you want to tell me about your nightmare?" Silence. "I'm a very qualified therapist."

Chloe scoffed sadly. "Shock therapist."

"Hey, I can do both. I'm ambidextrous."

"That doesn't sound as encouraging as you think, but well," Chloe said. "I was on the stage from yesterday. But only me and my dad were on it, as if we were inside a car. People in my life were in the crowd: my mom, Stepdouche, your parents, Wells. Something was wrong with the car so I checked it out, even though I knew it was a dream. Even though I knew what was going to happen. He's always in my dreams, it's become a part of my life and the only one that mattered... because I still get to see him. It's crazy, I know."

"It's not crazy..." Rachel reassured her. "What was wrong with the car?"

"There was no car, no problem, but I said the spark plug and then I just couldn't keep playing along. I realized that these dreams, where he is, they're not real. It's not some quality time. They're only hurting me. I see him die... _every_ time."

"Oh, god. Have you told your mom about these?"

Chloe shook her head. "You're the first to know."

"Chloe, he died two years ago... I can't even begin to imagine how much pain you've been in."

"It was becoming too much... Thanks."

"Why?"

"Because you reminded me there's more to life than pain."

Rachel hugged her tightly. "I'll make sure to do it _every_ day."

"Great. I need you."

The blonde pulled away and squeezed her knee. "I'll always be here for you... I think you should tell your mom. I know there's medicine for that."

"I don't want to worry her..."

"Chloe, this is your health. You can't continue living like this. There are some things you just can't keep, okay?"

Chloe nodded. "Okay."

Rachel leaned in and kissed her forehead.

Her crush rested her head on her shoulder, looking down. "I was supposed to be the one comforting you."

"You are, in a dark way. But that's why I am here: To walk with you through this path."

"I'd rather be on a bright one. But I would remain in the dark if I'm with you."

Rachel tilted her head back. "Chloe Price, the cheesy."

"What can I say, Rachel Amber? You were the one who said we were perfect dark."


	8. Blue and Red

"So you wanting me to tell my mom about my nightmares means we're not leaving yet?" Chloe asked, making Rachel speechless. She hadn't thought _that_ much about it. "You know," Chloe continued. "I once tried to run away before."

"What?" Rachel gasped. She barely heard a bird standing on the window hole fly away outside of the shack.

"Yeah, a few months after my dad died. I had just cut my hair short. I was so angry all the time." Chloe lowered her head. "Especially at my mom... I used to blame her." She blinked and looked back up. "Thing is, I'd seen her being all flirty with a mustache at the dinner, making things worse. I just bolted, packed and walked out of my house. No goodbyes. I just... _left_."

"Chloe..." Rachel whispered and put her hand on hers, noticing her blue teary eyes.

"No, no, it's okay. I'm here, right?" Chloe squeezed her hand. "But my mom went worried-nuts. I had never sneaked out before. I remember the next morning, being at the station, back when I didn't jump into trains, and the TV played a news report. My mom crying, begging me to come back."

Rachel's heart broke, imagining the pain of losing her Ariel again.

"The police wasn't doing anything because it hadn't been twenty-four hours yet, so she went straight to the local news. I just couldn't stand to see her like that. I'd been selfish. I saw her smiling and it was like dad was never gone."

"I-I don't know what to say," Rachel admitted.

"You don't have to. That's why I was a little hesitant about leaving last night."

"All of this is making me think that maybe I should stay a little while longer... be with my mom through this."

Chloe looked understanding and also a tiny bit disappointed as she nodded.

Rachel caressed her cheek. "For now, we should fix that truck."

"You're right."

"And isn't today Mother's Day? What kind of daughters are we?"

Chloe snickered and then stopped. "Wait, it's Mother's Day? Oh, shit. I haven't done anything for my mom."

"I guess we could go buy her something before we go back."

"Really? Thank you."

Rachel waved her hand, like it was no big deal. Shopping with Chloe Price did sound appealing, but they weren't shopping _for_ her, which didn't make it sound as fun. But she was sure any time spent with Chloe would be thrilling.

* * *

"So what are you thinking?" Rachel asked as they walked inside Arcadia Bay's mall, which wasn't crowded and had half the stores closed due to the early morning. The ride back felt short because of that, too.

"I have no idea, actually," Chloe said, rubbing the back of her neck. "She's a simple woman, she likes homemade things."

"Then what are we doing here? We should be wheel throwing." Rachel smirked at her crush's scoff and eye-roll. "But seriously, we could surprise her with something fancy."

"Oh, I get it. Something store-made!"

Rachel chuckled. "That's why we're in a mall."

"Right, my bad." Chloe slapped her own forehead. "Made-in-China made!"

"I don't know if those classify as fancy. But yeah, it could work."

"You have a China cabinet, so it _definitely_ does."

Rachel tapped her nose. "Dork."

"And you love it." Chloe winked, making Rachel feel really warm inside. "Well, we could buy her something homemade, so it's the best of both worlds. One of them being China."

"I'm worried about the confidence in your words, but that's perfect. I know just the place we're looking for."

"You shall not worry," Chloe said, trying to imitate Lord Of The Rings badly, but cutely. "I'm just saying dumb shit to make you smile."

Rachel felt her cheeks heat up, her fingers going behind her ear instinctively. "Come on, let's go!" she squealed, taking her hand and dragging her to the shop in mind.

This girl was going to be the death of her.

* * *

"It's literally called Handmade Store?" Chloe questioned once they were in front of it. The inside looked modern, but cozy at the same time. She wondered how that was possible.

"Yeah, _Awesome_ Store," Rachel corrected. "For your mom, of course."

"You totally buy here."

"Shut up." Rachel started walking in. "And I like homemade stuff, too."

"Thought you'd be into diamonds and shit."

Rachel tilted her head. "I... like to craft my own kind of diamonds."

Chloe thought that fact was so cute and genuine, her lips parted. Rachel always had a way to word everything so beautifully and her still trusting her, even with the embarrassing stuff, felt incredible. She turned around picked the first thing on her reach, trying to snap out of her little trance. "Maybe she would like this."

"A wooden naked woman?"

"Yeah, maybe she and I don't have the same taste."

Rachel smirked as she put it back down and looked around. _What would Joyce like?_ She headed towards an isle. There were colorful flower pots, sweaters, purses... and something beautiful that caught her attention, her mind spiraling with a vision. "Chloe," she called her over.

Her crush now stood by her side. "What?"

"We should get these." Rachel pointed to two matching bracelets, one blue and the other red.

Chloe looked at her funny. "For my mom?"

"No, silly." Rachel bumped her shoulder. "For us. Our... friendship bracelets." She grabbed the blue one for Chloe and latched it on her wrist. Her eyes trailed back up to her eyes as she spoke softly, "Every time we wear this, we'll be with each other. No matter where we are."

Chloe smiled, her voice just as tender, like when they were onstage. "I like that."

Rachel smiled back and grabbed the red one, it reminded her of the fire inside her. Might as well embrace it. She also needed this new color since her signature bracelet was filled with tainted memories. _And Chloe looks hella good in blue_ , Rachel thought after seeing her wear her blue jacket yesterday.

"We still have to get something for my mom, drooly one."

Rachel wiped her mouth instantly, but it was dry, realizing Chloe was teasing her again. It was still surprising how fast they felt this comfortable with each other. At the beginning of their journey, Chloe was a mess. A beautiful mess. And now she was a dorky, confident badass. "Let's go find it then, birdie."

"Birdie," Chloe repeated, muttering under her breath, and followed her. She picked up a basket. "Who even needs this stuff? Like, _Oh, my god. I'm so fancy, I'm going on a picnic!_ " Her crush giggled and then Chloe carefully took a decorative plate with a hotdog in the middle. " _Imagine using plates to eat when you can just look at them!_ "

"Hey, Chloe!" Rachel called out, joining her. "Look at my morning wood!

Chloe wrinkled her nose at the sight of her crush holding a wooden penis on her crotch. She chuckled. "Gross."

Rachel held up the penis as she talked, wobbling it up in the air. "What's with people and wooden nudity anyway? Some kind of fetish?"

Chloe used her high pitched voice again, this time just exactly like the geek girl back on their field tree. " _We are called ecosexuals, stop excluding us!_ "

Rachel bumped Chloe's shoulder with her hand.

"Ew, you're still holding your dick!" Chloe yelled.

The few people on the store turned to them and glared. Chloe's cheeks turned red and she snatched the wooden penis and waved it around. They turned away in disgust and Chloe put it back on a shelf. " _Ugh_ , now I've touched it."

Rachel was crying from laughter, covering her mouth to not holler out loud. She swallowed. "The look on your face was priceless!"

"Ha-ha..." Chloe tried fighting her own, but she lost. "Alright, I'll give it to you. It _was_ hilarious."

"Great." Rachel wiped her teardrops. "By the way, you should give this to your mom." She handed her a fiber photo frame. "We can print one of the pictures I took of you and your mom yesterday."

Chloe was agape, as if she had planned it. Maybe she did. "You're a genius!"

Rachel winked and she walked to the register to pay.

* * *

They'd decided that they would start working on the truck the next day, wanting to be with their moms. Rachel _needed_ to be with hers, after yesterday... Rachel just hoped she didn't freak out like Joyce when Chloe ran away. This was the first time she had sneaked out without telling her parents. Maybe that's one of the reasons why her life had felt too plain.

She opened her front door, and stepped in and took a look around. It was just like yesterday's night, including the broken dining table. Her mom had cleaned the glass, though. Rachel wondered if she should have asked Chloe to leave so she could help her. It was Rachel's mess anyway, just like the fire. But Rachel hadn't wanted to be alone, well, at least until Chloe showed her she didn't.

She couldn't find Rose downstairs. It was early morning, so it was possible her mom was still sleeping. It was the weekend, after all. And after last night, Rachel would have caved in her room if she'd been in her place. Wait. Was Chloe teaching her true empathy? What was this girl doing to her?

It wasn't that Rachel wasn't empathetic to others: While people loved talking to her about themselves and she really didn't need that information, she always paid attention. Not to use it against them later, but to make them feel special. Even if some people didn't deserve it, being listened-having a voice-and being cared for was one of the most amazing feelings in the world. If Rachel could give them that small satisfaction, she would because she knows what it's like to be quiet. About her stress. About her needs. About her honest opinions, which is something that only laid on Miss Arcadia Bay. That's why that identity meant a lot to her. And now, thanks to Chloe, that personality could come to exist in the living world.

Rachel went up the stairs and entered her bedroom to get her mother's gift, she'd bought it last week, and it included a note telling her how grateful she was for her. Though her parents could be annoyingly elegant ass-kissers, they tried to give her the best life she could have. But Rachel had never told them about wanting to free herself of them to explore the world with someone she loved. They would sure miss her, but this was more than a wish. It was a _need_. Or at least that's what she told herself to ease that heartbreaking feeling in her gut.

She knocked her mom's door and heard a quiet murmur. She didn't understand what it said, but she turned the handle, darkness coming from the curtained windows.

Her mom was in bed. Her face was stained with dry tears. She hadn't gotten up because her hair was a mess. But she'd sat and laid her back against the headboard to greet her daughter. "Good morning, sweetie." She offered a sad smile.

Rachel walked towards her and sat next to her. She embraced her tightly and after a moment, she handed her the present. "Happy mother's day."

"Aw, thank you." Rose reached for her hand. "I'm sorry I'm such a wreck. It's just the first time in forever I wake up alone."

"You don't have to apologize, mom. Just know I'm here for you, okay?" Her mom nodded. "Now open your gift!"

Rose unwrapped the cover. It was a brand new sewing kit. Her mom used to sew a lot for Rachel growing up, but when she became a teenager, she could now afford shopping and her mom was busy working. But then Rachel needed Prospera's costume and it was the right time to get back on track, though she'd only bought enough to finish it, not to do it in her free time. "Oh, my god, Rachel, it's perfect. Thank you."

"It's what you deserve for being the best mom ever."

"That means so much..." Rose put a strand of hair behind her ear. "And how was Chloe after last night? James was being so rude."

"She's fine. He means nothing to her nor does his words."

"She seems pretty tough. A cute sense of humor, too."

Rachel giggled. "That she is."

"And..." Rose trailed off. "Do you like her? As more than a friend?"

"Mom!" her daughter squealed. It wasn't a secret to her parents that she was bisexual, but having girl talk with her mom was certainly something she had never expected. At the same time, if this took off her mom's thoughts about dad... "Fine. Yes, I do."

"I knew it!" Rose claimed. "The way she had your back yesterday. And you finding her jokes funny. True love!"

Rachel blushed. "Mom..."

"Come on, baby, this is big. This is the first person I see you genuinely like."

"You don't care we've been friends for a few days?"

"You're kidding?" her mom said. "You've been studying together since we moved here a year ago. Sometimes all it takes are the small things. Like noticing. She wasn't a popular girl at school, but _you_ noticed her. Yes, she has spent a couple of days with you, yet she was here for you when you needed it the most. Like I said, true love."

"Oh, wow." People just kept impressing Rachel today. Her mom was usually peace and quiet, didn't get involved in her daughter's personal business. Now she felt like a friend, something that hadn't happened often. Her dad was usually the "cool" one out of the two, taking them into random adventures in his car late at night or just acting like a stereotypic attorney to make them laugh. That's why his betrayal stung so much. "I love you, mom." _Sorry if I don't say it often._

A grin formed on Rose's mouth. "I love you too, baby. Love's a beautiful thing, especially in high school. Don't be afraid to feel it."

Rachel grinned, too. "Never."

* * *

They spent the rest of the day together, nothing crazy, just a movie marathon. Rachel spent half of it thinking about how it would have gone if Chloe and Joyce had joined them. She could have offered, but she wasn't sure if her mom would be open to guests in her state. _Ugh_ , Rachel hated her dad. How could he be so stupid to let her go?

She blinked, needing to get him off of her mind. Rachel tried to think of something that made her happy instead of angry. An image of Chloe popped up. She smiled. She imagined a future with her, they were in LA having the time of their lives. Rachel craved that. But then she glanced at her mother and she wondered how long she could wait. Could Rachel really leave her knowing she was hurting?

Her phone lit up on the coffee table. She grabbed it. It was a message from Chloe: _mom loved the gift, ty again !_

Could they? Maybe it isn't about the place, but who you are with.


	9. Fantasy VS Faith

On Monday morning, Rachel arrived to Blackwell Academy by feet. Her father would always drive her here, but today was different. It was the first day in school since she found out that motherfucker was a cheater.

She'd considered asking Chloe to come with her, but of course her crush had just been expelled and was probably still sleeping. Rachel was greeted with a grinning Dana and she frowned. She'd expected everyone's faces to be gray for her, but they didn't know of her father's sins. Maybe it was better that way. The last they'd seen of her had been on The Tempest play. She wasn't a wreck to them. Always "Little Miss Perfect".

"Hi..." Dana trailed off shyly, her hands behind her back.

"Hi..." Rachel repeated just as awkwardly. What was going on through her friend's head? She was usually so bubbly and jumping in with gossip. This felt... _intimate_.

"So you left with Chloe the other night," Dana cut to the point, a small smirk formed back in her face. "Did something happen?"

"Oh, my god," Rachel let out. Of course it seemed _that_ way to her. She'd left without her phone and never replied to the Drama Club group chat. Feelings of enthusiasm surfaced inside her, that same energy she felt on the train when she and Chloe last headed to the junkyard. "I've got so much to tell you!"

Dana was dragged to one of the lunching tables on the campus and they sat down side by side. There was Steph, Mikey and his older brother Drew playing _Dungeons 'N Dragons_ nearby, but just out of earshot. "Spill, I'm dying over her!"

Rachel giggled at her memories, only thinking of her and Chloe, her dad's exposure pushed deep down. "So we changed from those sweaty costumes and then we started walking around the neighborhood. We were still laughing at Mr. Keaton's melodrama."

Dana laughed at that. "I swear he was gonna faint."

"Right?" Rachel thought about her next words carefully. Did she want her to know she was running away? As the DA's daughter, she wouldn't want anyone to know. As herself... she just wanted to tell the whole truth. "We felt so high from performing, everything felt possible." But it was still hard. "I told her I was serious about us... she wasn't convinced. So I kissed her and all of our troubles went away." Almost.

" _Aww_ , so passionate!" Dana gushed. "I know she ain't kissing anyone else any time soon... or ever, but from one to ten—?"

"A hundred, or is that too little?" Rachel considered. "An infinite? I may be a tiny bit biased because I've got feelings for her, but she's definitely a great kisser."

"Damn, Amber." Dana put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, I'm very happy for you and I'm also glad you told me. I love our girl talks."

"Me too. Feels more natural than me and my mom's."

"You told your mother about Chloe?" her friend gasped. Dana wasn't too close to her parents, so this was as shocking as the taste of pineapple on pizza to her.

"She just noticed we crushed on each other and I didn't deny it. It was very therapeutic, actually."

"That sounds interesting... Your mom _is_ really sweet." Dana looked up.

"You don't have to try to like your parents if they're shitty," Rachel reminded her. "There was no blood oath, okay?"

"That's a funny way of putting it, but you're right. Thanks, Rach." Dana hugged her this time and Rachel didn't hesitate to return it. This friendship seemed like it was blooming. It was a weird feeling. Another genuine person in her life? Surprising and not being taken for granted.

It was almost time to go inside, so they went together and said goodbye to grab books from their lockers. As Rachel did, her eyes landed on Chloe's former locker. It was closed, but knowing it was empty inside made her upset. No more Bongo picture and the slight scent of smoke that was just so _her_. So Chloe. Passing through that hallway didn't feel right anymore.

 _Sure_ , she had Dana now, but seeing the same people around her and not the one she wanted the most now that they were close was disappointing. It felt just the same as last week, but without the spark. Rachel always imagined how her school life would turn around once she befriended Chloe Price, now it was just her fantasy.

* * *

Rachel Amber had no experience whatsoever with cars. Her dad had told her once, when she was a little girl, that it was men's work so she'd never worried to learn. If he were to say that now, she would have gotten the grip on it in a matter of days after slapping him in the face.

She had dressed up for the occasion, well, if an old top and jeans counted. Chloe wore a similar attire, but she doubted that was on purpose. Rachel thought they matched with the junkyard—all the worn metal and dusty surfaces. It was weird that this place felt more like home than her own house. Or maybe it was just Chloe's presence.

Her crush clasped her hands together. "So you know anything about—?"

"Nope." Rachel made that ' _p_ ' pop, as if she'd taken a lollipop out of her mouth.

Chloe put her hands up. "Had to ask. Don't worry, it'll be more about screwing things so you'll just have to pass me the right tools."

"Will do." Rachel walked up to her. "Let's get to work."

She'd thought this wouldn't be that entertaining, but staring at Chloe do something she was passionate about was really hot. The sweat on her skin helped, too. Rachel had to been snapped off her trances or, as Chloe called them, "drooling sessions" to pass her the screws.

Chloe grabbed the fuel filter and put it in her mouth.

"No, Chloe—"

Her crush blew on it and brownish, greenish liquid flew off to the inner side of car's hood. She stood amazed for a second. "Awesome!"

Rachel chuckled. "You're really cute, but that was disgusting."

Chloe shrugged it off. "Well, we must be done."

Rachel smirked. "Wanna give it a ride?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Chloe cleaned her hands with a piece of cloth, went to the passenger's seat and opened the door for her, offering her hand to help her up, though it was totally unnecessary and they both were anxious to see their magic.

Once they were both settled, Rachel gave her the ignition key and Chloe started the engine. The motor was growling, it sounded great, their faces lighting up.

" _Woohoo!_ " Chloe cheered, raising one arm out the window, and the other high-fived Rachel.

"Give it a go!"

Chloe pressed her feet against the pedal and the car jerked forward, the wind in their hair feeling refreshing after hours of sweat. She managed to dodge all the obstacles in the way.

Rachel could hear Chloe yelling loudly out of excitement. But as her crush slowed down to park, she realized the one yelling had been her.

Chloe looked at her eagerly. "So now that it's ready, how long are we delaying our trip? A month?"

Rachel looked down in shame, her fingers finding her hair and tangling it behind her ear. "I've been really, _really_ thinking this and maybe we should wait to finish school." Her crush looked really disappointed this time. Rachel took her hands. "I _do_ want to run away with you, what I said that night wasn't bullshit. Well, except for the blonde man part, he would get got the second he laid eyes on you." Chloe smiled a little at that and Rachel continued, "I'll get you back to Blackwell. I know you hated it there, but now you have me. We'll kick these kids' asses."

"First the ass and then the world."

Rachel chuckled. "Exactly."

"So how are you going to get me back into Blackwell. I doubt Wells has a soft spot for puppy eyes."

"As much I hate this…" Rachel rested her back on the seat. "My dad."

"No way you're seeing that piece of shit—"

"He can get you in, Chloe. I don't care as long as you'll be by my side. I can handle him. I just gotta play his game. Acting. And I'm hella good at it."

"I just—" Chloe sobbed quietly. "I just don't want you to get hurt. I know you're as tough as the burnt cookies I baked once—I thought my teeth would break—but he means something to you."

Rachel bit her lip. It _was_ true. "It's a risk I'm willing to take. And well..." she traced her fingers on Chloe's arm, sending her goosebumps all over. "I've got you now to make me feel better, don't I?"

Chloe smiled. "Always."

* * *

Rachel was left alone in the shack to call to her father. This would be the first time they spoke since she had called him out on being fake. She'd received lots of messages and voicemails from him since that happened, but she hadn't read or replied to any of them. She'd thought she never would until she realized it was her only choice to get what she wanted.

The rings felt eternal, even though James answered on the third one. "Hello, sweetheart."

"Hi, dad," she answered, suddenly feeling lost at words. _How to talk to him? Oh, just pretend he never hurt your mom_. "I was wondering if we could meet."

He couldn't believe this was happening, the slight hint of excitement lingering on his voice. This was rare for him. "Of course, honey. When are you free? Tomorrow after school?"

"Yes, that's perfect. I'll see you then."

"Goodbye, I love-"

Rachel ended the call before he could finish the sentence. Why was he so fake? How could he love her if he did that to their family? To _her_? And what's with the pet names? Doesn't he know he isn't allowed to treat her as if he hadn't fucked up big? Deep down, there's a part of Rachel that wants him to be a lie, to still be who he used to when he was just with her. She was amazed at how much hate she felt for him now. This could never be forgiven. Rachel considered the thought of being able to move past this, time seemed his only hope.

"Hey," a voice said at the door hole, alerting her. "It's just me." _Chloe_.

The blonde sighed, laying her back on the cement wall. "Hey..."

Chloe walked in. "How did it go?"

"Okay, I guess. It was very short and formal." Her crush sat next to her, encouraging her to open up. "You know, I've never not said _I love you_ back to him."

Chloe took her hand, not really knowing how to answer. She hoped her touch could be enough.

"Hold me." It was a simple demand, a simple need. Rachel felt Chloe's warmth in a matter of seconds. It made her feel better, it made her reflect on how selfish she'd been earlier, feeling weird without her at school and acting on instantly changing it. "I'm not backing out..." she whispered in her ear. "But I've just realized I didn't ask you how you felt about going back to Blackwell, if you even wanted to."

"My mom would be happy," Chloe started, her voice low. "Though I don't think she could afford it without the scholarship."

"I'll see what I can do about that, but how do _you_ feel?"

"I feel... that I know I could have done better, but I had no will to. After being expelled, I tried to believe I was getting a weight off my shoulders, but instead I got a weight on my gut. I _do_ want a second chance at school, I wanna make it right. But I shouldn't get my hopes up."

"You should," Rachel reassured her. "I'm getting you in no matter what. You, Chloe Price, are going to graduate."

"That's a sentence I thought I'd never hear again."

 _And... she's back_ , making jokes in emotional situations. Rachel loved her for it. Now she would just have to keep her promise. "And about our trip, we can drive to states closer to Oregon when we are on vacations. Cali will just be the endgame."

"Hell yeah, I can't wait."

Rachel couldn't either.


	10. Tainted Memories

Chloe had been prolonging a conversation for far too long. It's been two days since she promised Rachel she would tell her mother about her problem. The day she did that compromise, it was mother's day, it was understandable why she didn't. The next... her mom had woken up in such great mood, stills from yesterday's high. Who knew spending quality time with her would make her forget it was Monday and her daughter wasn't supposed to be at school because she got expelled? Not Chloe. She considered having more Mom days now that she and Rachel were staying for a little longer, but then that walking mustache came downstairs and she remembered why they couldn't have nice things.

Joyce was in the dining table sat with Stepdouche. Their plates were already empty, but they were still talking.

"Mom..." Chloe approached her slowly, her hand scratching the back of her neck. "Can we talk?" She glanced at David, who had moved in a few days ago. "Alone?"

Joyce noticed her behavior, her way of speaking. This was _her_ Chloe. "Of course, darling."

They walked outside to the yard, her mom closing the glass door behind them. Chloe hadn't been here a lot since her childhood best friend Max moved away, just here and there to have a smoke when her room felt like it was closing in on her, usually after she had one of her night terrors and needed some fresh air to contaminate.

She sat on a swing and Joyce took the one next to her. Chloe rocked nervously back and forward, a tiny squeak could be heard, probably because of the rusty metal. "I think I know why I've been making everything hard..." Her mom's look intensified, if that was even more possible. Well, Chloe wouldn't know, her eyes were adverted to the ground. "The reason I'm struggling so much is because I've been having nightmares _every_ day... since dad died."

"Honey..." Joyce reached out her hand and placed it on her knee. Surprisingly, Chloe didn't pull it away.

"I-I can't keep living like this..." her daughter sobbed. "I need help. I want to be a better version of myself." _For you. For me. For Rachel_. "And I know we've been struggling with money, so I never asked..."

"No matter what it is, you have to tell me this stuff, Chloe. We'll figure this out together, okay?"

Chloe finally glanced back, her eyes shiny and wet, full of faith. "Okay."

"You don't have to tell me your nightmares, but you'll have to tell someone for you to get diagnosed."

Chloe nodded, expecting that.

"I'll see what I can do ASAP." Joyce stood up but was held back by her daughter's hand.

"Thank you." Chloe looked at the sky. It was past noon, so the sun was up high. But it was still a bit chilly because of the spring. "And I was wondering if we could have a girl's day... every week. Sunday was fun."

Joyce smiled her brightest. "It sure was. Just set a date and I'll make time."

"Okay." The woman started walking away. "And mom?" Chloe added and she turned around. "I love you."

"I love you too, Chloe. Always."

* * *

After another long day at school, Rachel waited on the parking lot for her dad. She'd gotten out a few minutes early, so she had a little time to mentally prepare herself for this scene, even though she didn't have a script. Maybe she should improvise more with Chloe.

James' car suddenly arrived, right on time. He lowered Rachel's window because he knew she liked the wind in her hair and opened the door for her from the inside.

 _Calm down, Rachel. He's still a piece of trash_. "Hey, dad," she said simply. She'd considered calling him James, but being cold wasn't going to get her what she wants.

"Hi, sweetheart," he greeted back, not driving but looking at her as if he'd realized he had lost something huge. _Good, you did_. "How was school?"

"It was alright." _Small talk, but not too small_. "I got an A on my biology test." Rachel was so lucky she had great memory because she hasn't been in the right mind to study; breaking her usual, hard routine.

"I'm so proud of you." James gave her the tiniest of smiles—a very rare sight—and then he started driving away from Blackwell.

Rachel wondered where he was taking her, he wasn't exactly welcomed at their house anymore.

"You can pick the station."

She reached out to the radio and fumbled. _Can You Feel The Love Tonight?_ by Elton John started playing, feelings of nostalgia surfacing on her heart. Rachel froze. Of fucking course.

"Do you remember this song?" James asked, his mind going there, too.

"You and mom's wedding." Rachel had seen the videotape of their slow dance thousand times. She used to imagine herself one day in their shoes, now it was just another tainted memory.

"Mhm," he hummed. "That was a great day."

 _Was it? Did you forget your vows were in vain?_ Rachel clenched her fists. She wished she didn't feel like losing it, but she made a promise.

His dad stopped the car, still looking straight ahead. "I made a mistake and I'm not about to beg you to forgive me. I do love your mom, but it's not the same—"

"I don't want to hear why you cheated on her," she interrupted him, her voice breaking and her fists hitting her knees instead of the half-open glass window. "You lied to me, to her. There's a right way to break things off and _surprise!_ it doesn't involve cheating."

"I didn't want you to be in the middle of a divorce."

"But now I am, aren't I?" Rachel sighed.

"I know this doesn't cut it." He turned to her. "But I _am_ very sorry."

"Me, too." She glanced over her surroundings. They were outside Pinolo Gelato. He always took Rachel here in their midnight adventures to get ice cream whenever she got a good grade, which happened often. But as he got busier and busier, these trips stopped. Now she knows why. _What was with this emotional train wreck anyway?_ It was messing her up. She put her mind on blank and recalled her objectives. "I need a favor."

"Anything."

"I need you to get Chloe back in Blackwell. Scholarship and everything."

"Rachel—"

"I need to know I can count on you again."

He spaced out for a moment, considering. "You can count on me."

"I hope so." Rachel thought about staying, but she didn't want to hold on to the past. It was dead. This was about her future with Chloe. And he wasn't part of it.

She walked out of the car, too overwhelmed. He seemed to understand somehow because he didn't follow her. Well, Rachel never looked back. But no one was stopping her.

* * *

Rachel found herself in front of Chloe's house. She had never entered and she hadn't told her crush she was coming, but her feet took her home. She couldn't have asked her father to drive her here because he didn't know who her new safe place was and she didn't want him to know he had no real chance by refusing ice cream. Or maybe Rachel just couldn't handle it. _Him_. Couldn't handle being fake anymore, pretending nothing had happened.

She pressed the doorbell and waited, those tense seconds feeling like an eternity. Finally, a screech and a surprised face.

"Oh, hello, Rachel!" Joyce beamed, a phone against her ear, just ringing. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Hi, Joyce. I wanted to see Chloe."

"Of course." Chloe's mom let her in. The first room leads to a hallway, upstairs and what seemed to be a garage. There were pictures and a rack on the wall. It felt cozy and warm. "Chloe's room is up, first door to your right."

"Thank you!"

Joyce offered her a smile and walked towards the hallway, apparently whoever was on the other line had finally picked up. "Good afternoon. Yes, I'd like to make an appointment."

Her voice faded. Rachel took a fast glance at some of the photographs. A young happy Chloe with another little girl by her side, she assumed it was her old best friend Max. Some others of her mom, Chloe's dad, and Bongo. Then Rachel finally followed Joyce's directions and knocked.

"Mom?" Chloe asked.

Rachel opened the door. "Just your favorite therapist."

"Oh, lord, you're here." Chloe had been laying in bed smoking, but she straightened her back at the sight of the most beautiful girl she's ever seen, putting out her cigarette."I'm sorry my room's a mess."

"It's fine." _Adapting_. "It's so you, I love it." Rachel walked in and looked at blue eyes for permission to sit next to her. Instead, they got lost in hazel. Gazing. Swimming. Loving. That's just what she needed.

Chloe was the first to snap off, blinking. "I'm sorry, here." She moved her butt backward, towards the wall, her legs straight.

Rachel sat on the edge, it didn't feel like enough. "I talked to my dad," she started.

"How did it go?"

"He's gonna do it, but you were right. He means something to me and I got hurt."

Chloe scooted closer, grabbing her hands and her brows lifting with worry. "Hurt?"

"Down memory lane. There were so much reminders of when my family used to be one, happy. Now there's a line drawn between us and I almost crossed it. I don't want to care, but I do."

Chloe caressed her cheek, Rachel hadn't even realized it was wet. "Listen, your dad once was a good man. It's okay to still feel love for the person he used to be. But we all change for better or worse and we all struggle to accept that. But we can't let ourselves believe they are still the same."

Rachel nodded repeatedly, taking everything in. She threw herself in Chloe's arms and was caught gracefully, her back on her front. "You're right..." she whispered. "I just wonder... how do you know?"

"Some of my nightmares are very insightful... and they make me question whether or not I had the perfect dad. To me he was, at least all the time we spend together. But I was the one to change for worse. He wouldn't be proud of who I became. What I don't know is how he'd treat me, like his little girl or his big wreck."

"I think either way, he would be there for you." Rachel leaned her head back to glance at Chloe. "For the record, he would be proud of who you are _becoming_. You're a badass and who doesn't know is missing out."

Chloe smiled. "The only one who matters is you, though."

Rachel leaned in, but cellphone rang loudly in her pocket, making them jump. She took it out and the screen read _DAD_ , her face flushing. They shared looks and she picked up. "Hello?"

" _Hi, baby. I've got great news: Chloe can go back to school. But in the fall with her scholarship back_."

"That is great, I guess. Thank you."

" _When I told you you could count on me, I meant it._ "

"Good. Well, I'm studying right now, so..."

" _Don't worry about it. Have a goodnight, I love you._ "

"Goodnight." Rachel hung up. "He did it, he got you back. But before you get excited, you can reinstall back in the fall."

"Shit, that was fast. And I'm not upset, it works, I'm seeing a psychologist soon. Better get my shit together before then."

"He probably already had dirt on Wells." Rachel trailed her fingertips down Chloe's arm. "So you're replacing your shock therapist? Bummer..." She grabbed her hand. "I'm just kidding, I'm glad."

Chloe still seemed a bit flustered, but managed to get her game face back on. "Maybe my shock therapist should have gotten a license."

"Chloe Price going the legal way? Never thought I'd see that day."

"Therapy doesn't mean I won't smoke weed... Maybe just not as often."

"Well," Rachel changed subjects. "Where were we?"

"I think you were doing something like this..." Chloe took her hand back and placed it on her own cheek. "Then we closed our eyes." They both did at the sound of her soft voice. "And..."

Rachel connected their lips. The kiss was slow and tender. It started with a few long pecks, their foreheads now against each other. Then she didn't remember how, but they ended up laid in Chloe's bed. Rachel back in her arms, head on her chest, listening to her heartbeat. That's when they fell asleep, too drained with the difficult conversations faced today.


	11. Burned Under Construction

"Girls, do you want something to eat—?" Joyce's voice was cut off at the sight of her daughter and her new friend Rachel spooning. It was actually sweet, her Chloe being the smaller spoon for once, her Chloe finally letting herself be taken care of. Loved, even. She smiled and started walking out.

"Hey..." someone whispered, her eyes blinking, though the room was dark.

"Hi, Rachel." Joyce leaned on one foot, it reminded her of Chloe's usual laid-back posture. "You guys sure were tired."

"You think?" Rachel joked. She swore she'd never been more comfortable than right now, Chloe in her arms, not even feeling remotely embarrassed that her mother was in the room.

Joyce approached her and sat on the empty bed's corner by her feet. She put her hand on her knee and squeezed it lightly. "Thank you."

Rachel tilted her head, moving her body a little so she could look at the woman properly. "For what?"

"For everything. From texting me to watch the school's play— _yes_ , I knew it was you, Chloe doesn't use upper cases or punctuation—to just coming to her life. You made it a brighter place."

"I'm not the better spy here," she answered quickly. Her cheeks burned, her fingers finding her hair quickly and brushing it behind her ear. "Well, it's my pleasure to be in it. Chloe made my life brighter, too."

"I'm glad. It's nice to see her smiling again, not her cocky smile, her genuine smile." Joyce received a grin back. "Do you want me to call someone to pick you up? It's getting late and it's a school day."

"Hmm..." Rachel hadn't expected that question. Naturally, she would have answered her dad, but that wasn't really an option anymore. _Her mom?_ To Rachel, it seemed unnecessary to bother her with such a simple request. "I'll just walk, wake myself up."

"Nonsense. David can take you."

"David?" she repeated.

"Yes, my boyfriend."

That single sentence made her want to throw up for some reason. _Dildo With A Mustache_ was way more entertaining. But this opportunity also sounded appealing, meeting the guy Chloe despises.

"Mom, save her the trouble," Chloe mumbled sleepily. "I'll walk her home."

Joyce got up to be able to glance at her. "Or you can both go with David."

"Ugh, fine. Who needs to exercise anyway?" Her mom started walking away. "This is why America has obesity problems!"

Joyce shook her head as she closed the door and Rachel burst into laughter. "Hey, there."

Chloe blushed, not used to being playful with her mom in front of other people. But at the same, Rachel wasn't just people. "Hey..."

"We really did fall asleep."

"Yeah... it was nice."

"Indeed." Rachel observed her: her hair was messy, her eyes squinting and her lips seemed dry. She needed someone to fix that, so she leaned in and put her tongue inside her mouth. Chloe was suddenly awake and kissed back. Rachel licked her lips and continued with the make-out session, not realizing she was hovering over her crush until her throat let out the tiniest sound. The most pleasant sound. _Woah, I did that_.

"Girls, hurry up!" a man yelled, Rachel guessed it was Stepdouche. "Some people do gotta wake up early tomorrow!"

She hopped off. "What an ass."

"Told you." Chloe tried brushing her hair with her fingers, but gave up and placed a hoodie over her head instead. Standing, she helped Rachel up and they walked down to the garage, where Pornstache was already on the driver's seat, impatiently tapping his index finger on the steering wheel.

David Madsen was almost like Rachel imagined. Military haircut, big eyebrows, and an annoying rat under his nose. He scanned her, as if she was a new target on the battleground, but quickly looked away when he saw she was no threat.

She heard Chloe open the door and she got in. Stepladder started the engine immediately and a few moments later, he started driving. This was probably the first time she felt awkward while her crush was in the room. You could just feel that tension. It didn't help that he didn't even turn the radio on, contrasting her own dad a lot.

His eyes remained on the road, but for a second she swore he glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Rachel, right?"

She hesitated, though it was a simple question. It just made her feel unimportant, like Joyce hadn't told him her name five minutes ago. "Yes-"

"You don't have to make small talk," Chloe interrupted, crossing her arms. "We all know how that goes."

While Rachel was clueless, she knew they had fought before, it was all over the air.

David scoffed. "You don't put up with that attitude, do you?" he asked her.

"I won't put up with _yours_ , thanks for asking."

He let out a quiet gasp, as if he had expected her to take his side. _Stupid_.

Rachel laid her hand on top of Chloe's knee, facing up. Her crush looked at it and interlaced their fingers. She gave her a squeeze, _I'm with you_.

The rest of the car ride was silent until Rachel had to tell him where to stop. She felt sorry for Chloe, who would have to spend time alone with him. But Chloe was fine just knowing Rachel had her back.

* * *

The next day before noon, Chloe found herself outside the District Attorney Office's building. She'd been waiting here for a few minutes against her cold truck and had considered leaving, but the person she was looking for suddenly came out through the doors. "Rachel doesn't know I'm here..." she started. "Yet."

"Came to thank me?" James Amber answered sarcastically, still walking forward and barely glancing at her.

"No, to insult you for being a piece of shit." Chloe crossed her arms and smirked. _That_ got his attention.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to the rebel. "I got to admit you have guts."

"Yeah, enough to joke about that. I _did_ come to thank you. You don't know how much it means to me, my mom, even Rachel."

"Rachel..." James scoffed. "I know she was just giving me false hope, but I'd do anything for the small chance it's not."

Chloe didn't understand why, but she felt slightly bad for him, just slightly. "Well, that's all I wanted to say." She put both her hands on her jeans' pockets. "Don't worry about her, she's in good company." She smiled and winked, starting to make her way out.

"Don't worry about her?" he repeated under her breath. "You were literally a high school dropout yesterday. You asked your high-class friend to get her daddy's help. You—!"

"I didn't ask her to—!"

"Didn't you?"

She clenched her fists. _What was he doing?_ Chloe had come here to get on decent terms with him, to express her gratitude. Now he wanted to burn a bridge that wasn't even under construction. "No, I didn't. I did not even want her to talk to your scumbag ass then or ever. I'd rather be a middle-class dropout than have her hurting because of you again!"

Chloe hadn't realized she'd been yelling until she let out the last breath. Her face felt hot, she was sure she was sweating, but not for one moment did she lower her head, glaring at him. Rachel's dad seemed like he had nothing else to say to her so she turned around and got in her truck, driving away furiously.

* * *

 _Your friend just talked to me, she was very rude_ , her father had texted her. _Hope you're still keeping that perfect behavior record. Love you_.

Rachel read the screen, raising an eyebrow. _Chloe and her dad? Rude? Perfect? Love?_ She blinked and began typing furiously under her desk, _Can't talk, on class. Later_.

Though all she wanted to learn was what the teacher was writing on the board, now the only thing she could think about was that damn text: How did the encounter happen? Did they run into each other? Did he go to her house to yell at her and Chloe just defended herself? Defended Rachel?

She breathed out quietly, as if the air was all her worrying thoughts. She just hoped Chloe didn't let his words get to her, though she was sure her crush was strong enough to take them and fire them right back.

* * *

"Let's start with something simple, what did you do today?"

Chloe tapped her fingers on the chaise. It was all that she'd expected and she'd been confident on coming here, but once she laid down, she felt a lump in her throat. It was weird, usually ready to speak her mind, it was just as if it knew where all of this would end up.

"Miss Price...?"

" _Uh_ , breakfast. My mom woke me up for breakfast. Stepdouche was there reading the newspaper, so I thankfully couldn't look at his mustache—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," the psychologist said. "Tell me more about this 'Stepdouche'."

"He's my mom's boyfriend."

"I'm guessing you don't like him."

"It's not _so_ obvious," Chloe joked. "He used to be in the military AKA he's really uptight, he wants to set a lot of rules in a house that isn't even his. I understand I'm not an easy kid, but him trying to butt into my life like that... it just made things worse."

The doctor wrote a few things down. This always bothered Chloe in fiction: they just started talking, _is their memory too bad to even remember? How is your patient suppose to know you care enough? By keeping notes?_ "What did you do after breakfast?" she interrupted her thoughts.

" _Hmm_ , I went out."

"Where to?"

"My... best friend's dad's office."

"What is this best friend's name?"

"Rachel." Chloe couldn't help a little smile from forming on her lips. She was a topic she could talk about for hours.

"How is your relationship with her?"

"We met at a concert and she saved my life, literally. I was just surprised to see her there—she's a straight A student with the DA daddy, really popular, loved by all students and teachers. I never really got the hype." Chloe sat down and looked at her in the eyes, as if she was making a case. " _Sure_ , outside she's talented and she's hella hot, but who was she inside? That night, we just small-talked." She tilted her head, already deep in the memory. "But it was all it took for me to be intrigued. I was in shock when she said she wanted to hang out the next day and from there, I got to meet the fearless, brilliant strong girl beneath the surface."

The psychologist smiled and joggled more down. She looked back up with a straight face. "And what were you doing at her father's office?"

"I just wanted to thank him for getting me back on Blackwell, it made my mom really happy when she got the call this morning. It was all going alright until he started attacking our friendship. He thought I'd asked her to do that. I know I ain't perfect, but he sure as hell ain't better. Rachel's the only person bold enough to call him after he cheated on her mom."

"How did he made you feel?"

"It's not the first time he tries to offend me. He called me a 'girl from a broken home' and you know what? That may be true, but at least I wasn't the one to break it."

The woman nodded. "You don't seem to do good with father figures."

"Or men in general, might as well put it out there. I've only met like three good guys in my entire life."

"One of them your dad?"

 _Ding, ding, ding, ding_. Her mind was right, everything would lead here. "Yeah, of course. He was perfect, at least when he was with me. He always joined in my adventures, he never judged me." Chloe looked down, seeing that trait in Rachel, too.

"Do you think that's the reason you keep acting out? Him never judging you?"

Her patient shook her head in a beat. "No way, it... I started to when he died. My childhood best friend moved away and ghosted me. I stopped caring about school. I just stopped caring about everything."

"Not everything. Not _everyone_."

* * *

Chloe parked her truck on Blackwell and grabbed the warm paper bag from the passenger's seat. Her feet touched the asphalt and burst forward. Her eyes searched left, then right, until she finally spotted someone in a glowing light. Her back was mostly turned to her so she decided to use the element of surprise, not paying much attention to the other students on the table.

She tapped Rachel's right shoulder, the opposite side of where she was at. Her crush turned around in her direction, not even checking the other way. "Hey..."

"I could smell you from a mile away." Her face got red. "Well, that was a weird thing to say."

"Totally." Chloe chuckled and placed the paper bag in front of her. "I got us something from the dinner."

"Oh, my god, you brought lunch? That's so sweet." Rachel stared at her with gratitude and love, then another thought popped to her head, the shyness showing in her eyes. "How was...?" she trailed off, remembering they weren't alone.

Chloe made a gesture to follow her so her crush mumbled a quick goodbye and then they walked back to the truck, laying on the bed, recapping everything. " _You don't seem to do good with father figures_ ," she mocked her psychologist. "No shit, man!"

Rachel scoffed and then gazed at her. "My dad's really trying to break us apart?" It was a statement, but it sounded more like an insecure question.

Chloe lit a cigarette and took a long puff. "He won't succeed, you know. If we can make our own stars, then we can rule the world... or something like that."

Rachel smiled. "First the ass, though."

"First the ass." The short-haired punk returned the playful smile, but it suddenly turned into a sad one. "Therapy... real therapy is actually very liberating. Once you start talking, everything else just comes out. It was a lot for a first session, she said."

"You're a smooth talker..."

"Do I have to remind you when I tried talking about the weather?"

Rachel chuckled. "Definitely not, it's one of my fondest memories though. It should be your epitaph."

"Not dark enough." Chloe rested her elbow on the cover above the metal and looked at her seriously. "I want something mysterious, something that will scare kids on Halloween."

"Like... eat your vegetables?"

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny." Chloe took another puff and her eyes sparkled. "Maybe, _My death caused the deaths of an entire town. Just look around!_ "

"Butterfly effect? I like it." Rachel reached for Chloe's arm, beginning to play with the blue bracelet she bought her.

"Chaos theory." The smoking girl felt chills on her skin, her crush's fingers touching her lightly. At this moment, right here and now, she wondered what they were. They're both interested in each other, but they don't go on dates either. Would it be too soon to be together? Would the people around her treat her differently just because she's with a girl? _I guess they don't matter, but my mom does. Would she be okay with it?_ She can be old fashioned sometimes. She just hoped this wasn't one of those times

"Chloe?"

"Hmm?"

"Where did you go?"

"Um, just thinking that I'm gonna have to try out these pills." Chloe threw away her cigarette and took a small recipient out of her pocket. "I'll probably forget to."

Rachel grabbed it and read the tag out loud. "Fluoxetine Tablets. _Oh_ , Prozac, an antidepressant."

"Yay, can't wait to be cured!"

"She did explain to you how they work, right? It just balances the chemicals in your brain—"

"So I can get through the day."

"What about the nightmares?"

"We're gonna try psychotherapy methods or else, I'm gonna have to get more high."

"Well," Rachel interlaced their fingers together, blue and red brushing against each other. "We can get high together."

"Rachel Amber..."

"What?" she retorted defensively, sitting down. "I wanna try out everything, not just cigarettes."

"Woah, I'm not saying no." Chloe sat, too. "I'm just a bit surprised, but I shouldn't be. You're a wild spirit, that's part of what I like about you."

Rachel opened her mouth to speak, but her mind was empty and her heart was full. She knew Chloe liked her, she knew what was going on between them and what they wanted out of it. But knowing is one thing lips hardly speak. _Now say something back, you fool!_ "I like that about you, too... Without you, I wouldn't have dared to do a lot of things. You give me strength."

"And you keep me safe... from myself," Chloe whispered, her voice tender. Rachel loved when it was like that.

 _"When you met Rachel, you found somebody to care about, didn't you?" the psychologist had asked. "That's why you said she saved your life."_

"You found me at my worst," Chloe continued. "From there, you got me feeling like brand new."

"I'm gonna pretend that isn't a song and just say I'm glad I did. It's probably the biggest accomplishment of my life." Rachel grinned. "I didn't have to do much, though. You're already amazing."

"I just needed someone to be amazing with." Chloe leaned in, hovering over Rachel's body. But when their mouths were about to touch, the bell rang loudly throughout Blackwell.

Rachel sighed. "Fucked over by the bell."

"Who says?" Chloe cupped her cheek and kissed her anyway. "Now I can really get through the day."

* * *

Rachel had texted _him_ back after school. They were meeting by the shore. Many people were on the beach, there was nothing like a spring evening near summer. A pretty sky. Warm water. And cold wind, which was the only thing Rachel could focus on right now, her hands gripping a wooden fence.

"Rachel," his deep voice said, making her turn around to stare at him with crossed arms.

"Dad." _Small talk_. "I didn't think I'd see you this soon again."

"Well, I didn't think your friend would come look for me to insult me."

Rachel scoffed. "More like you implying she's a bad influence on me, demonizing her.

"You spoke to her?" he questioned and then he shook his head. "Of course you did. Can't you see she's tearing us farther apart?"

"You're trying to tear her and I apart!" she squealed, uncrossing her arms. " _You_ broke us. My trust. My love. And for what? To get laid?"

"So you're choosing her over me?" James blinked and pointed at his chest. "Your own father?"

"Yes, you chose some woman over our family. And unlike you, Chloe doesn't lie. Your 'father' card has lost its worth."

"You said you would give me a chance if I got her back to school."

"But did you actually believe that? _Deep down?_ I said I needed a favor," Rachel corrected. "And you said: _Yes, anything, love_ so I don't owe you shit. Not even a chance. Not that you deserve it either."


	12. Head & Tails

"Rachel Dawn Amber, stop right there!" James snapped as he watched her walk away. "I damaged my relationship with Ray because of that girl!"

She turned around vividly. "It's Chloe and she didn't ask you to do it. It was me. Stop misplacing blame just because she won an argument."

"I'm not salty about the argument. I believed maybe she was what you needed. Now I think she's just using you!"

"Chloe would never—" Rachel stopped herself. It was helpless to explain her crush's selflessness, but the other way around... "Have you ever stopped and considered you are the problem? Yes, we caught you. But you and me were already distant. It was all polite. Chloe was only the trigger. Either way, I couldn't keep living a lie."

"I know I'm not perfect, but I have your best interests at heart. She's unfit."

"Oh, none of that nolle prossed bullshit," Rachel snapped. "Why can't you believe in someone? In change? Why won't you detach your work from your personality and be what's left?"

"Because I'm scared!" he broke. "I'm scared to lose you, scared sick you won't like the real me. I was scared of what just happened: You chose someone over me."

"Is there even a real you anymore?" she challenged, though she could sense some truth in his words. It had been the only time he didn't glance around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. "Is there someone to choose at this point? You make this so hard."

"And what is that?" James asked in a timid and tired voice, as if he had gone to a concert and sang his lungs out. She almost felt bad for him. Almost.

"Saying goodbye." Rachel paused, thinking she should add more, but nothing sounded right. Her body had embraced the cold of the wind, though the sun had fully set. "I can't say I'm sorry. But I guess this is your official notice." Maybe the stars helped. "Farewell."

As her figure became smaller and smaller at his sight, his weak voice stopped her once again as a last ditch effort. "I love you."

Rachel sucked in a sniff and kept walking. It felt more like running. She didn't even hear the whispers on her way out or her uneven breaths. She didn't even wonder where her feet would take her.

x-x-x

"I'm just a sleepwalker, waking up, all of the memories will never be enough..." she singsonged as she locked her front door. She noticed tear drops and dry stains on her face when she looked at her reflection in the mirror at the entrance.

As she made her way upstairs, she noticed her mom staring at her from the sofa. Suddenly, Rachel felt her legs wobble and she sat down, supporting herself with the railing. Rose came to her side and put her arm around her. Everything else just spilled out.

Later that night, her back was laid on her bed. She heard someone come in, not from the door, but through the open window. "Ugh, can I see your therapist?" Rachel asked, already knowing who it was.

"Conflict of interest." Chloe took her shoes off and sat on the corner of the bed, her legs bend. "Or something. You can always talk to me, though."

"I know." Rachel gave her the tiniest and cutest of smiles, already feeling better. "You should be careful sneaking in. I don't want you to fall."

"I just want you back where you came from." Her crushed grinned, proud of herself, not quite sensing her seriousness.

"Is everything a song quote to you?"

"Uh, no." Chloe suddenly shied away, thinking she said the wrong thing. "It's just... when I'm with you, I'm happy. Just like when I listen to music."

Rachel sat up and bumped her shoulder. "Dork."

"So... you cut the strings with your dad?"

She nodded in response. "I mean, for as long as I can avoid him. I know this cruel world will find a way, it always fucking does. But it is what it is."

"I'm glad you said goodbye." I didn't get to.

As if reading her thoughts, Rachel felt the sadness in her words. "Me too." At least she got some sort of closure, Chloe's father's death was unexpected. She couldn't even bring herself to imagine losing a parent at such age.

"Do wanna go out for some ice cream and cry about it?"

"Already did. Cry about it." And ice cream would make her remember her dad, though she doubted Chloe would take her to Pinolo's. "You know what? Let's go for that ice cream."

They snuck out the window, even if there'd be no trouble just telling her mom they were leaving for a little while, but that would just rip away the rush of adrenaline from jumping around.

Rachel didn't ask where they were going until they were in front of a cute little diner near the beach. "Two Whales?"

"Yup." Chloe entered and held the door opened for her. "Well known for their various ice cream flavors, over thirty, I think."

"This is where your mom works, right?" Rachel remembered her mentioning something in Wells' office. She was answered the moment she looked around: Joyce was pouring coffee to a couple of cops. This place felt warm, just like her.

"First things first," Chloe said, walking to the back like she owned the place. She changed the jazzy music in the jukebox to a punk song.

"You can just tell me you're here, you know?" Her mom passed by and glanced at her. "Hello, Rachel. I'll take your guys orders in a bit. Doubt Chloe just came to say hi with her noise."

Rachel giggled, loving her sassiness. Chloe took the nearest seat nearby, a.k.a the one in the corner. She sat next to her and grabbed a Menu. She ended up choosing Mint Chocolate Chip flavor while her crush settled for Pralines 'n Cream, which seemed very delicious, but she'd never had it herself.

As Joyce brought their ice creams, she couldn't help but gaze. Chloe just smirked at her. "Want a bite?"

"Yes, please." Rachel put her spoon on the Pralines 'n Cream. "Though I wasn't fully staring at the ice cream." Her eyes fixated on Chloe as she cleaned her spoon with her tongue. "It's really good."

Her crush swallowed. "Told you," she said, not sounding as confident as her words. It was needless to mention Rachel was hella sexy, but it was a bit weird knowing her mom was just a few feet away from her. She knew she'd see it innocently, she had no clue her daughter was the gayest for her new best friend Rachel Amber.

"Your ice cream's gonna melt if you just keep staring."

"Sorry. I mean..." Chloe had no real reason to apologize to Rachel, so she just glanced at her dear Pralines 'n Cream instead. "Sorry, pal." And she began devouring it. Very self-contradicting, if you asked her, but it made Rachel laugh, so her silliness paid off.

x-x-x

After climbing up to the top of the Amber's roof, Chloe leaded the way to her bedroom window. But before she could jump, a voice stopped her.

"Wait," Rachel called and she turned around. "Let's stay here for a little while."

They sat down next to each other, the cold tiles sending a shiver down her spine. Chloe looked up. "We were right, they're still beautiful."

Rachel looked up, too. The stars were shining brightly in the sky. Her gaze went back to Chloe after taking the sight in. "Not as much as you, though."

Her crush blushed, barely glancing at her. "If you wanted to kiss, you could have just asked. I wouldn't say no, you know."

Rachel chuckled. "I always want to kiss you, but sometimes it isn't perfect timing. Like when your mom is in the room. I know you haven't told her yet."

Chloe reached for her hand and finally stared at her. "It's because... I want to introduce you as my girlfriend."

Her eyes widened, her fingers too weak to get to her blonde hair anxiously. "Price..."

"Amber... I like you so much. I know it's so sudden, but at the same time it's so not. And I don't wanna waste any more time not calling you my girlfriend."

"Me neither." Rachel found the strength to squeeze her hand and lean closer. "I'm all yours, girlfriend."

Chloe smiled into the kiss, always feeling like the first. "Good. Same here." She scoffed. "Girlfriend."

Rachel held in her laughter. "You taste like Pralines 'n Cream."

Her girlfriend bumped her shoulder playfully. "And you don't taste like mint?"

"I didn't say it was bad!" Rachel defended, giggling. "Very tasty, actually."

x-x-x

After kissing some more last night, Rachel slept like a freaking baby. First thing she did when she woke up was text the resting Chloe to take her pills, not missing the opportunity to call her "girlfriend" again. Though today it was a school day, nothing could ruin how happy and free she felt. Not the rare walks to Blackwell. And definitely not everyone staring at her weirdly in the hallway.

"Hey, you lovebird," Dana greeted her, laying on the locker beside hers.

"Hey, you." Rachel took out a book and glanced at her. "Why's everyone looking at me more creepily than usual?"

"Someone saw you arguing with your dad at the beach yesterday," Dana said. "Are you okay?"

Oh. Right. That also happened yesterday. It felt like a lifetime ago now. "I think so."

"Was it about... Chloe?" her close friend suggested. "Did he find out about the kiss?"

"He didn't find out, not that his opinion matters."

Dana gazed at her, lost, needing more to go on. She knew Rachel loved her father, so what was going? But by the face Rachel was wearing, she sensed she didn't feel like letting out more for the eavesdropping students around, so dragged her to the library. "Now we're safe. Not even the real nerds come here."

"Just the desperate kids doing their homework last minute."

"Or the ones whose parents punish them by taking their cellphones away."

"Still sounds like desperate." Rachel smiled a little, grateful for the small banter. But they hadn't come here to chitchat, the librarian was throwing some daggers already. Good thing she was friendly with Rachel. "So my dad..." This felt too crazy to say out loud at a place like this, but fuck it. She could trust Dana. "He cheated on my mom." Gasp. "And I can't forgive him."

"Obviously." Dana sounded offended. No wonder, she adored Rachel's mother, maybe even envied her a little for their good relationship. "I can't believe it. Your mom deserves fucking better."

"A fucking mood."

"So do you."

That pained Rachel to hear, but her friend was right. "He made it seem like I had to choose, not even between him and my mom. Him and Chloe, can you believe that?"

"No, what the hell? That doesn't make any sense at all."

"Exactly!" she continued. "I picked Chloe, of course. And when I was leaving... he just told me he loved me. It was like a stab in the fucking heart."

Dana hugged her tightly. It felt warm, Rachel hadn't realized she was breathing hard. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks." Rachel scoffed. "But you know what? Karma never sleeps."

Her best friend pulled away. "Hell yeah."

"On a lighter note," Rachel said, putting strands of hair behind her ear. "Chloe asked me to be her girlfriend!"

"Oh, my god!" Dana squealed, receiving a dirty look from the librarian.

Rachel offered the woman a smile that hopefully didn't scream too much: Please don't kick us out. And then she glanced at her friend and began telling the story.

x-x-x

Before Rachel knew it, the last bell of school had rung. She walked out with a few random students from class asking her questions about an assignment, probably in attempt to also get something juicy out of her, until... Oh, my God. No freaking way.

A newly painted truck parked in front of her. The driver's door opened and the most gorgeous girl came out, walking towards her. She felt someone give her a push forward, Dana not now! She didn't know why such gesture startled her completely, but whatever Chloe was trying to do, it was working.

Her grin was so freaking cute. "Your ride is here, Miss Amber."

Rachel couldn't help but grin just as hard. This was so cheesy. So Chloe. She was completely speechless, so she just let her hand get taken to be led into the passenger's seat.


	13. A Moment Of Calm

Rachel opened her mouth, but she had nothing to offer. Her brain was still processing what just happened. Chloe showing up like _that_... it gave her tingles in a silly place. This was perfect, just feeling the wind in her hair and being next to someone who made her feel warm inside meant everything. "I'm so happy," she suddenly let out as some punk song played on the radio. Rachel didn't even think it through.

"Same." Chloe reached out for her hand and laid it on top of the gear lever. "Ever since I met you—" She glanced at Rachel and burst out laughing. "Oh, Lord, I'm gonna stop. You're so red!"

"Shut up!" Rachel squealed. "You're the one being all cheesy and shit!"

"Don't act like you don't love each second!" Chloe winked at her.

The blonde resisted the need to cover her face with a pillow to scream and took out her water bottle to take a sip. A gulp. The whole bottle.

" _Damn_ , if I knew my girl was going to have gay panic when we started dating..."

"You had it before, so don't make fun of me!" Rachel punched her shoulder playfully, pulling away her hand from Chloe's. "Miss _Nice Rachel We're Having!_ "

"You're never gonna let that one go."

"Uh-huh, it's too good. It's the epic start to my favourite love story!"

Chloe smiled, feeling Rachel's starting to loosen up.

Rachel tilted her head to the side with those sparkling cat eyes. "What's got you so lovey-dovey today?"

"First things first, Rachel Amber is my girlfriend!" Chloe yelled out the window and the blonde laughed. "Second, I really wanted to see you."

"Me too," Rachel sighed. "I'd been missing you all day. School hours are _too_ long."

"Seriously!" Chloe agreed, letting go of the wheel for a second, amazed that she was understood. "That's why I avoided it all the time. Now, it avoids me."

"Hey," Rachel said softly, putting her hand on top of Chloe's, which was laying on the gear shift. "You're coming back, remember?"

"Can't believe I'm gonna say this, but I actually _can't_ wait?" Chloe said. "I just wanna be with you all the time. I never had something to look forward to until I met you."

Rachel tried hard not to squeal, her cheeks hot instead. She took a deep breath in attempt to recompose herself and squeezed Chloe's hand. Rachel suddenly smirked in her train of thought. "Well, I _had_ something to look forward to for a while."

"And what is that?" Chloe took a moment to gaze at her before looking back at the road.

Rachel scoffed. "Seeing someone trip in soccer."

Chloe almost stopped the car. "You bitch!"

Her girlfriend held her giggles in and put her fingers up to her chin as if she were thinking. "I also looked forward to basketball. This tall chick kept snatching the ball from me and scored. It was annoyingly hot."

"Oh, Lord..." Chloe trailed off, at this point just slowly going in circles around Rachel's block, thinking about all the sweaty times she'd been _that_ close to Rachel, who unsurprisingly always had the ball. "I should've realized I was gay by then."

The blonde let out her laughter, remembering too. But then her face went dead-serious, almost intimidating Chloe a little. "That was so hot."

Chloe finally parked in front of the Amber's house and rushed forward to kiss her, one hand cupping her cheek and the other interlacing with Rachel's.

Rachel responded immediately, like she had been planning to the same thing. Having no separation between the seat seemed really convenient right now as Rachel's body was suddenly hovering on top of Chloe's.

Chloe swore her heart was about to jump right out of her chest. She'd never felt anything like this while making out with any guy. Well, _duh_ , she's a lesbian. But damn, her girl is good at this.

Rachel pulled away for breath, both resting their foreheads against the other's. "I should go..."

"Yeah, you should." Chloe kissed her neck and made her way up to her ear. "But you don't want to."

"Oh, God—" Rachel could barely let out as Chloe continued. It felt so good. But what if her Mom was looking out the window? She'd never let Chloe in again. Okay, maybe she was exaggerating a little, but... _Um..._ What was she thinking again? _Oh, yeah!_ "Someone might see us."

"Nah," Chloe dismissed and went for a kiss on the lips for reassurance. But as she landed her fingers on Rachel's side, the blonde suddenly giggled, making her body shoot up and bump the horn. "Well, they definitely will now!"

They both straightened their clothes and hair. Rachel quickly gathered her bag and was out of the car. "Bye!"

"No goodbye kiss?" Chloe pouted as her girlfriend walked towards her house.

Rachel turned around and grinned. "I think I gave you enough for today."

* * *

When Rachel entered her house, she was immediately greeted by the smell of garlic bread. She happily walked over to her mother, who was in the kitchen, and kissed her cheek. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hi, Rachel." Rose smiled. "You're in a cheery mood today."

Her daughter danced through the kitchen and dramatically swivelled around. "Chloe picked me up today!"

"Aw, that's sweet of her."

Rachel took a spoon and tasted what was in the cooking pot. "I was completely swept off my feet." _Yeah, and don't miss the fact that she felt like ninety hundred degrees!_

Rose scoffed, her mind going places she didn't want to revisit, back when James used to do the same. But she took a hold of herself by watching her daughter adding oregano to the sauce. "Not too much!"

Rachel stopped and smiled at her innocently. "I'm going to freshen up."

"Alright, but don't take too long. Dinner's gonna be ready any minute!"

* * *

Chloe climbed her way up to the roof and then went in through her window, it was always more fun this way. She tried her best to not kick anything off her desk, before grabbing some random clothes and heading straight to the shower. She was sweating all over, trying to calm herself with the cold water dropping on her skin. Chloe had never been that bold before, at least in the romantic sense. She didn't really know what came over her, but she just wanted to surprise Rachel and make her smile somehow. It seemed like her unplanned plan worked out.

Everything felt surreal: Rachel, her good relationship with her mom, another chance at school... Did she actually die that night before the concert and was this some weird, twisted gay heaven? No, it couldn't be, her dad would be here and not that dipshit Moustache.

Chloe took her pirate towel and wrapped it around her body. She cleared the foggy mirror with her forearm, something she hasn't done in forever. She normally skipped some showers, probably because her depression made her stay and overthink for long, and she knew her mother wouldn't be able to pay that kind of water bill. But yeah, things have changed. Besides wanting to smell good for Rachel, her psychologist told her it was good to maintain a routine, yet here she was, showering for the second time today.

She looked at her reflection. Surprisingly, she was smiling too.

Chloe put on some clothes and released she had picked one of her father's T-Shirts, this one was black with a red dragon spitting fire. It fit a little big on her thin body, but she didn't mind, considering not wearing pants around the house, but then she remembered it wasn't just her mom and her here. _Ugh_ , when will he just go?

She exited the bathroom after putting on sweatpants and headed to her room, where she laid flat on her bed. She turned on the radio and lit a cigarette, taking a paused puff to fully relax. Some acoustic ambient song was playing and for a change, Chloe let it play. She'd been so frustrated these past few days that she needed to let it out with hard rock, now she felt a moment of calm. Chloe didn't even hear the door open.

David had let himself in. "I thought I'd smelled smoke!" he yelled.

Chloe put out her cigarette. "How can you smell anything with that thing under your nose?"

He growled and he looked like he was about to launch himself at her. She retreated to the far edge of her bed, against the wall. She suddenly felt small, too small, her breathing started speeding up. She got up in an attempt to feel taller, but he just got closer, inches away from her. "What have I told you about smoking? I don't want it in my house!"

"This is not your house!" Chloe backfired, but not before feeling a hand hitting her face.

"Yes, it is!" David continued. "I've had just enough of your attitude!"

Chloe stood still, one hand on her cheek, for the first time genuinely scared of the man in front of her.

"No snarky comeback?" He scoffed. "You're all talk. When it comes down to it, you just quit." At seeing her quiet, he decided she was no threat anymore, turning around and going towards the exit. Chloe almost let out a breath, but then he stopped right at the doorway, his back to her. "Think again the next time you smoke in here." Then he closed the door.

She was still in shock, not even realizing the flow of never-ending tears down her face. Her breathing was agitated and in a flash, her loose hands became clenched fists. _You think again_. Her feet took her downstairs and she heard David close the sliding yard door. She went the opposite way, towards the garage. She locked the door and trashed around the space for a set of keys. She found them at the top of a high shelve that only someone her height could reach. Lucky she wasn't a kid anymore and she would show him.

Chloe opened the gun's cabinet and took out a pistol. She struggled to put on the bullets as her hands were shaking inevitably. She didn't notice until her phone in her back pocket shook her back to reality, someone was calling. If David heard she was in here... Chloe was barely able to take out her cellphone and through her blurry vision, she was able to see Rachel's name and answer.

 _"Hey, Chloe. What's up? I was wondering—"_ Sob. _"Chloe?"_

"Rachel," her crying voice echoes. "I'm not—" Highcup. "He..." Sob. "My face."

"Chloe, breathe," Rachel coached as she got off her bed and ran out of her house. "Hey, it's okay, I'm here. Just listen to my voice." More sobbing. "Remember when we first spoke?"

"At the concert?" Chloe asked unsurely.

"No, silly. It was _waaay_ back." Rachel isn't sure how many streets she has crossed, but they feel endless. "Right when I moved to Oregon, my first day school."

"U-uh? That long ago?"

"Yeah. Everyone wanted to talk to me. Everyone but you."

"I guess I didn't care... Nothing mattered after my dad died."

"That's what they'd told me, that they'd just left you alone because they didn't know how to talk to you."

"Assholes..."

Rachel scoffed a little, there was some of her Chloe in there. _What had happened? Everything was fine just hours ago_. "Right? That's when I tried speaking to you."

"I can't really remember it..."

"That's alright, it was really short." One more block. "I'd said..."

 _"Chloe, right?" a fourteen-year-old Rachel asked._

 _Sat under the farthest tree from school, Chloe was looking down at nothing, wearing a black hoodie in plain sunlight._

 _"I'm Rachel Amber. I'm new and I thought we could be friends."_

"You know what you said to me?" Rachel looked around Chloe's house for an open window. The kitchen's was open.

"W-what?"

Rachel was extra careful to not make any noise, being able to see David on the yard through the glass door. "You said..."

 _"Fuck off."_

Rachel tip-toed all the way to the entrance. She was about to head upstairs until she heard Chloe on the room to her right. The garage.

Chloe giggled, but instead of sounding cute, it sounded more like a choke.

Rachel opened the door slowly and Chloe almost jumped, but quickly recognize her scent, her face, her everything. She broke down at her sight, and her girlfriend was scared at the scene, a gun and a couple of bullets on the floor. Chloe's face red and completely wet. She rushed to her side and pulled her in her arms.

"He hit me," was all Chloe could manage to say, clearing all doubts that this wasn't a suicide attempt.

"And he never will again," Rachel reassured her, not entirely sure what she meant. She just knew she would protect Chloe at any cost.


	14. Every person that's ever left

A few days later, Chloe found herself in therapy, retelling _that_ day's events.

"What did you do with the gun? Did you keep it?" her psychologist asked.

"I only kept these." Chloe pulled out a necklace that was hiding under her T-Shirt. It had two bullets hanging on it, as if they were casual attachments. "One for dad. One for Max. A bullet for every person that's ever left."

The older woman nodded and then leaned in on her chair. "Have you told your Mom about it?"

Chloe rubbed the back of her neck. "I haven't had the chance to get her alone... She... David acts like he normally does, as if he hadn't hurt me. He doesn't even look sorry."

"Must've been hard on you to see him on your house after that."

A round of applause for Captain Obvious over here. "Well, I haven't stuck around. I've been mostly hanging out on Rachel's."

 _For a moment, it was just her in Rachel's arms. When what felt like forever passed, Rachel got up and cleaned her mess. Chloe wanted to help, but she was still in shock. She knew David was an asshole, but not an aggressive one. She should've seen it coming, he is a veteran after all. Maybe, deep down, Chloe trusted that her mother had chosen a decent guy at least, clearly not._

 _"Hey," Rachel broke her out of her trance and stretched out her hand. "Wanna get out of here?"_

 _Chloe tried to speak, but her throat was way too dry. She nodded instead and took Rachel's hand. Slowly, they made their way out of the garage. In the hallway, Rachel looked upstairs, but then noticed Chloe's hesitation so instead, they went out the front door._

"It's like she was reading my thoughts," Chloe confessed. "I've never felt more understood... We walked all the way to her house."

 _Rachel let Chloe sit on her kitchen counter as she took ice from the refrigerator and wrapped it on a towel. She then stood in front of Chloe, laying the ice against her cheek. It stung a little at first, kind of like when Rachel first applied makeup on Chloe in her dressing room._

 _Chloe had never seen someone look so worried about her... Okay, maybe her Mom, but this was different. Rachel's eyes were so... liberating, in a way. You stared at __them and you felt like you could leave it all behind for that pair of hazel irises. Even in th is silence, she didn't need anything else, those eyes felt like home._

"I'm glad you have someone to rely on," the psychologist said. "No matter what you're going through, you can call her. I'm sure she'll be there for you."

"Do you think she'll ever get tired of that?" Chloe asked shyly, playing with her thumbs. "Of me needing to be rescued?"

 _In Rachel's room, they laid in bed in silence, staring at the ceiling. Chloe was still processing everything and Rachel was waiting for her to speak first. If Rachel hadn't been so worried about Chloe, she probably would have grabbed the gun and killed that motherfucker. Nobody touches Chloe, especially now that she's only hers to touch. She thought about what to do next: Should they tell anyone? Joyce? The police? Was she being too dramatic? No way, this can't happen again. Maybe Rachel could ask her Mom for advice._

 _"I've..." Chloe suddenly spoke, her voice better now that she had drunk water. "I've never been hit before. Not by my parents. Not by anyone. I never let them. I knew how to defend myself. My dad taught me well."_

 _Rachel turned on her side to look at her girlfriend. Her skin was pale, her cheek still red. She looked so small, even though she was taller than Rachel. She wanted to reach out, but it didn't feel right. Not now, at least._

 _"He got so upset over a fucking cigarette," Chloe spat. "I knew what was coming the second he charged at me, but I couldn't move."_

 _Rachel looked down, she could only imagine. She was so angry and sad about the whole situation that she just wanted Chloe to feel better. At that thought, an idea came to her. Just like when she'd been upset over her dad being a cheater, Rachel got up and reached for her night light, switching it on. She turned off her lamp and suddenly, her room was shining with stars. Rachel headed back to her spot on the right side of the bed and glanced at Chloe, who was smiling lightly._

"Chloe, everybody needs someone," Captain Obvious answered. "Someone that can help you out when you fall. Someone to be silly with. Someone to be there for you. Your someone is Rachel."

"But what if she leaves?" Chloe asked, too frightened to even think about it. "Everybody does. I wouldn't be able to take it."

 _"You know what gets me?" Rachel started. "People think I'm Cancer."_

 _"What?" Chloe said, distraught at the random statement. "Didn't you say you were a Leo?"_

 _"I was born on July 22nd so technically that makes me a Cancer-Leo cusp. But I was born in Western time so that makes me a Leo."_

 _"Sounds like bullshit to me." Chloe finally turned to look back at her."I just think you're afraid of me calling you Lioncrab."_

 _Rachel gasped, putting a hand on her chest dramatically as if Chloe had stabbed her. "How dare you..."_

 _Chloe cracked a smile. "Silly."_

 _"That's my line."_

"People who love you, Chloe, will always have to leave at some point," her psychologist explained. "But they'll always come back."

 _"Well, I stole it," Chloe answered Rachel. "What are you gonna do about it?"_

 _Rachel had a million thoughts running through her mind, but was it right to get all romantic after everything that happened today?_

 _"It's okay," Chloe said_ , _as if reading her thoughts. She got closer to Rachel, and instead of kissing her, she gave her a hug. Rachel hugged back, realizing Chloe just needed her best friend right now._

"I guess a lot of people haven't loved me then," Chloe said coldly.

"Are you Chloe Price right now?" the older woman asked.

The punk raised an eyebrow. "W-what?"

"We've known each other for a while now," she started. "I know you have a way with words, I know you don't like being cheesy, I know one of your favorite bands is Firewalk and I know you rub the back of your neck when you're nervous."

"Oh, great, you do your job," Chloe answered sarcastically and then she saw the woman's look, realizing that Chloe's hand had been reaching for her neck. "Point proven."

"It takes some time to know you, the real you," Captain Obvious continued. "And I know you're sad, but you are not about to be moping on my floor. You're Chloe Price!"

"You make it sound like it's exciting."

"You don't get it. You're _the_ Chloe Price. You always get up when you fall. You think the people who left don't know that? Chloe, you don't need them. You've made it this far alone, you're here fighting the demons from your past and present. Not many get here, they get lost along the way. Instead, you found love. I'm so proud of you, Chloe."

"You're really cheesy, Doc." Chloe tried to hold back her smile, maybe she should be Captain Cheese. Or maybe Chloe just really, really needed to hear that.

The older woman grinned and shrugged. "What can I say?"

 _Chloe didn't know how much time had passed since they'd been in each other's arms, but to be honest, it didn't really matter. She felt better now, like Rachel's warmth had erased David's pain. Well, her face still stung. A lot. And Chloe forgot where she was going with this._

 _"As much as I wanna stay like this, it's really hot," Rachel whispered in her ear._

 _Chloe pulled away and sat on the bed. "Well, excuse me, I didn't choose to be_ this _sexy."_

 _"Silly...though very true." Rachel got up. "Do you want water? Something to eat? I'm going downstairs to get you more ice."_

 _"Damn, I forgot to eat lunch."_

 _"Chloe!"_

 _"Sorry, I was too busy being Romeo."_

 _Rachel shook her head disapprovingly. "I'll pull something together."_

 _"Can I help?" Chloe asked._

 _"You're my guest." And then she turned around and left._

Before Chloe's time was up, her psychologist suggested that Chloe could have been acting more impulsive due to the drugs' side-effects. She also wanted her to come back soon so they could start with the Imagery Rehearsal Therapy, which is used to control PTSD nightmares.

And, of course, Captain Cheese left her the _cheesiest_ task, "I want you to write a poem."

"Oh, Lord, they leave us homework in therapy too?" she had answered.

The woman laughed, maybe Chloe should bother to learn her name. But that was no fun. "It's something simple, I think you might like it. I want you to write a poem."

"A poem?" Chloe echoed, some memories surfacing.

"It can be about anything you want. The sky, how bad country music is, a person— _anything_. As long as you mean it."

Chloe bit her lip for a short moment, but then just nodded.

 _Rachel was putting out ingredients in the kitchen when her girlfriend suddenly appeared behind her, her light steps becoming louder._

 _"I_ am _your guest, but doesn't mean I can't help you," Chloe said, making it sound like Rachel didn't have any option but to let her._

 _"Fine," Rachel said as she was washing strawberries. "Get the ice from the cooler."_

 _Chloe did as she was told. "_ Ooh _, are we making milkshakes?"_

 _Rachel turned around, then wrapped some ice in a towel and put it against Chloe's red cheek. "I could."_

Unbelievable _. "You don't think I'm just gonna just sit on my ass and watch yours, right?"_

 _"Right." Rachel giggled, as if she could stare at Chloe's pouting face for more than a minute. "Okay, get me a knife, they are right next to the fridge."_

 _Chloe first watched her suspiciously. Rachel just glanced at her with a 'No, I'm not murdering you just yet' look. Chloe let out a dramatic breath, relieved, and spotted the knives quickly before grabbing one at random. Instead of going directly to Rachel, she made her way around and peeked inside the half-open door next to the fridge, which was a small storage room. She took out a cute black T-Shirt that had a smiley flame on it, "Why is this in a box?"_

 _"For charity," Rachel explained._

 _Chloe lifted the T-Shirt. "But it's so adorable!"_

 _"If you want it, take it. Some poor kid doesn't need it more than you"_

 _"Girl, I buy all my clothes from Goodwill, I would have gotten it anyway."_

 _Rachel face-palmed as she held in her laughter. "You really are something."_

 _Chloe kept digging through the box and pulled out a thick black string. "An empty necklace? Not even poor kids would want this personality-less item."_

 _Rachel turned around again and approached her. "Empty your pockets."_

 _"W-what?" Chloe stuttered. "I don't have weed, I swear."_

 _"Just do it, oh my God."_

 _"Alright, alright." Chloe fumbled until she found a couple of bullets in her pocket. "Um..."_

 _"I felt them in your jeans as we hugged."_

 _"Perv."_

 _"Shut up." Rachel reached for a drill that was hanging on the storage room's wall._

 _"Woah, Rach—"_

 _"Shh..." Rachel precisely placed a bullet in front of the tool and drilled a hole. She did the same with the other. Then she took the necklace from Chloe's hand and put the bullets through it. "Done."_

 _"That actually... that actually looks pretty badass."_

 _"Just like me." Rachel smiled proudly. "Now will you please be my model?"_

 _"Yes, mam." Chloe turned around and let Rachel tie the necklace around her neck. She faced her girlfriend now. "How do I look?"_

 _"Pretty badass," Rachel commented. "We should date."_

 _Chloe rolled her eyes, but then gazed at her seriously. "Thanks... not just for the necklace."_

 _"Always."_

Rachel had received a text message from Chloe after she'd left school, asking her to meet outside the Cape Meares lighthouse. It was an unusual spot, to say the least, but Rachel made the hike anyway. She noticed Chloe sitting on the beach facing the ocean, the sun was close to setting. Rachel walked towards her and sat by her side.

Chloe didn't even turn to look at her. She knew it was Rachel. "So...I finished writing a poem about you."

Rachel's eyes widened. "You what?" This was so out of the blue. "Not that I don't believe you can't write, but I didn't think you'd be into it."

"I used to have this game with my dad. We'd choose a word and try to make sentences rhyme. It was so fun... until he died. Then writing shit became more of a coping mechanism."

Rachel wasn't sure how to answer. Whenever Chloe spoke about her father, it felt like if she said the wrong thing, she would be crossing a line. But Rachel also didn't want to dismiss Chloe's memories, make her feel like they don't matter. "Like..." Rachel looked around. "The sun shines so bright in..." She glanced back at her. "Chloe's beautiful eyes?"

Chloe blushed and nodded. "I struggled on trying to find a word that rhymed with your name... but then it finally clicked." She stood up, taking a deep breath, and faced Rachel, knowing this would be embarrassing and hella clingy. " _For every person that's ever left, I save a bullet for their heads. But then I was standing on train tracks when you pulled me out of there. I was sitting on a train when you pulled me in. I was ready to jump when you did because you showed me that together, the world didn't have shit against us. Rachel, you are my angel. And I'm forever grateful that you took my hand because you showed me what love feels like again. Every person I've ever trusted has left. But not you—you stayed_."

Rachel was feeling too many things at once. When Chloe had started, she'd been worried until she realized what her girlfriend was trying to say: Rachel saved her life and showed her that there was beauty to it. She blinked tears back. "Aw, Chloe... you saved me, too. You are who I've needed all my life and I'm happy that I finally got to be here... with you. Thank you, Chloe. I know you don't always like showing your dorky side to the world, but it's always wonderful when you do."

Chloe smiled and, even though she felt weird about being called out as a dork, she felt proud of herself. Rachel never made fun of her, never judged her and always understood her. Before Chloe knew it, she was saying, "I love you, Rachel."

That was all it took for a tear to fall. "I love you, too," Rachel managed to answer.

"Now get on your tiptoes and kiss me."

Instinctively, Rachel stood up, and held Chloe's now healed cheek and leaned in, kissing her. "I wanted to say it first... but you're always so raw about your feelings, it's one of the things that made me fall for you. The world is so fake..."

"That's what we have on them." Chloe grinned, mocking her own poem. Another one of her coping mechanisms, making jokes in the wrong situations, like this one. Rachel just confessed her love for her, Goddammit. But who was Rachel kidding? She loved her even more for it.


	15. Burning House

The morning after Chloe's breakdown, Rachel had left her sleeping soundly on her bed. She was afraid to leave her alone so soon, but it was Friday so hopefully the classes wouldn't feel as eternal. Her girlfriend's cheek was very blue when Rachel woke up and she'd wanted nothing more than to kiss her pain away. But that would have to wait.

When Rachel entered the school, everyone... I mean, literally, everyone was looking at her. Rachel suddenly felt small and strange. Did they find out about Chloe?

As she walked towards her locker with her head high, she heard so many whispers:

 _"Is she gay now?"_

 _"Do you think her dad dropped her after their fight?"_

 _"Maybe she's with Price for his attention."_

Suddenly, someone grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into an empty classroom. It could only be one person. "Dana, you scared me!" Rachel squealed.

"I'm sorry." Dana closed the door, shutting away the eyes of curiosity.

"What the hell is going on?" Rachel paced around the room.

"Did you forget?" Dana looked at her as if she had a cat on her head. "Yesterday Chloe picked you up all Danny Zuko in front of everyone."

"Are they really so worked up about that?" Rachel sighed. "They should get a fucking life."

"I know right... ugh."

Rachel sighed again, seeing Dana's face dying to break its composed features. "You want to know what happened after, right?"

"Yes, please!" Dana sat on one of the desks, as if she were a student ready to learn, and Rachel sat on the teacher's.

"We just spoke. There was some funny banter, we talked about how happy we felt, we made out and then she dropped me home."

"That's all that happened?"

"Yup." Rachel realized she hadn't sound as excited as she should. "Sorry, it's just... the rumors overwhelm me sometimes. Bisexual is the only label I gave them and it's the only one they don't use. And so what if I'm with Chloe? This isn't some plan to get back at my father. I've loved her for what feels like all my life."

 _Click_. "Love?" Dana repeated. "I mean, you told me you were falling for her, but damn."

"I wanna tell her." Rachel looked down. "But I can never seem to find the right time. I want it to be special and organic, you know."

Danna stood up and sat next to Rachel on the teacher's desk. "I'm sure you'll find it," she said. "Love is like a fart. If you force it, it's probably shit."

Rachel laughed. "How do you come up with this shit?"

"The Internet, of course." Dana smiled and then got up. "Ready to head out?"

Rachel nodded and opened the door. She went to her locker and took out some books. She felt every pair of eyes staring at her again. "God..." she mumbled. "Yes, I'm dating Chloe!" Rachel yelled, her voice echoing through the halls. "Now fuck off!"

And then she stormed off to a classroom.

* * *

"At the end of that day, everyone stopped staring," Rachel told Chloe, the sun long gone now and dark blue settling over the Monday sky. "At least a little less. I'm so sick of them. I hate school."

"Damn..." Chloe let out. "Might as well have gone and said, _I'm the gay queen of Arcadia!_ "

"Dude, we're not married, I can't take your last name yet."

Chloe laughed. "Well, I guess I _am_ the gay queen of Arcadia... after Steph."

"I like her, she was very a helpful stage manager."

"And a very good friend." Chloe smiled, remembering how Steph gave her advice about Rachel on the day of the play, the day of their first kiss. "I still can't believe you love me," she blurted out.

"You really are a lesbian," Rachel commented, rolling her eyes. "Look, I'm only going to admit this once." She took a deep breath. "I'm a creep."

"A weirdo?"

"Chloe, I'm not quoting Radiohead." Rachel held in her scoff. Dork. "I mean, I've been crushing on you for a long time."

"Do girls who tell you to fuck off when you first meet them turn you on?" Chloe joked.

" _No!_ " Rachel claimed, but then considered, "Yes? I don't know. You've just got this amazing aura."

"Of giving zero fucks, but surprise, I give many. Must've been disappointed."

"Not at all, you give just the necessary amount of fucks." Rachel placed Chloe's arm around herself, nestling her head under Chloe's neck. "You give all the fucks that matter."

"You're the only one that matters."

Rachel pulled away. "Did you just call me a fuck?"

"Just kiss me," Chloe demanded. Rachel's lips felt so warm with the evening's wind just kicking in. She was the perfect weather. During the sunny days, she was like winter. And during the cold nights, like summer. She makes each day a new season, and each night a new infinite. "Oh, I love you. Fuck or not."

"I love you too, Dork."

* * *

They walked hand-in-hand to the Amber's house in comfortable silence, the ambience just too perfect to ruin. But she had to. Rachel stopped in her tracks and faced Chloe when they were in the doorway. "You should tell your mom about David."

"I will. Tonight. Just wanted to make sure you got home safely." Chloe tried to seem all confident about it, but Rachel could tell she was nervous as fuck so she grabbed Chloe's hand.

"It will be okay."

"I hope..." Chloe trailed off. "I hope my Mom believes me. I mean, am I even her daughter anymore? I don't text her. I don't answer her calls. Why should she care about me?"

Rachel scoffed. "Stop being silly. I've got you covered."

"What do you mean?"

"I texted your mom for you, I've been doing it for a while now. And don't worry, she knows it's me."

"I don't know if that's good or bad... You didn't tell me." Chloe scratched the back of her neck. "But I guess you would've have done it anyway." Pause. "Yeah, it's good," she decided. "She knows where I was. She didn't have to worry. Thanks."

Rachel smiled, almost worrying herself for a second there. "Call me after you tell her?"

"Definitely. Goodnight." Chloe kissed her cheek.

"Goodnight."

* * *

Before entering through the front door, Chloe had really wanted to come in through her window and just sleep it off. But she made a promise to herself. Tell Mom today before it's too late for anyone to trust you. After all, she waited the entire weekend for her skin to heal. It still ached a little when she touched her cheek, but it wasn't anything Chloe Price couldn't handle.

"Oh, Chloe, you're home!" her Mom announced happily as she saw her step inside the dining room. Right where he was, too.

"Hey," her daughter answered, letting Joyce hug her tightly. "C-can we talk in private?" It felt so weird to ask. So unnatural. _It's just Mom. Rachel said it would be okay_.

Joyce remembered the last time Chloe asked her to speak alone, it was when she told her that she had night terrors and needed therapy. This might be just as serious. Or worse. "Alright."

Chloe walked straight to the yard, trying hard to ignore his presence and stare. After her Mom closed the sliding glass door, they sat on the creaking swings. Crickets chirped somewhere in the distance and stars shined so brightly, but in this moment, she missed Rachel's stars. "I'm sorry," Chloe started. "For pushing you away again."

"Why did you?" Joyce asked, her eyes revealing a hint of sadness under the moonlight. "Everything was going great."

"I know." Her daughter sniffed. "I know. It's just... I love being here with you. But I can't be with you when he's also here."

"Chloe—!"

"He's not the man you think he is, Mom!" Chloe choked, attempting to slow tears that fell like autumn rain. _Lord_ , wasn't this her third time telling the story? Shouldn't it become easier? "I'm sorry, but he's not."

Joyce watched her daughter break down, speechless.

"T-the last time I was here..." Sob. "I felt happy. I genuinely believed happiness could last for a second. Just for a second until he..." Oh, her throat felt so dry, but she needed to pull through this. "Until he came into my room and hit me."

Her Mom tried to talk, but no words were coming out. "He... hit you?" she repeated.

Chloe nodded. "I was smoking in my room... I know I shouldn't, but I did. And he noticed and..."

Joyce got up and embraced her daughter. Though this was hard to imagine, it wasn't impossible. David _does_ have issues due to his military past. And Chloe would never get this upset about anything if it wasn't true. _Lord_ , what was the last time she held her like this? When she told her William died?

"I couldn't..." Chloe tried, but her body just gave up completely.

"Shh..." her mom said, patting her back lightly. "I believe you."

Through her blurry vision, Chloe could barely make out his silhouette inside the house. Hopefully, this would be the last she saw of him.

* * *

Chloe stayed in the yard, slightly rocking in the swing. She didn't know how late it was, but it didn't seem to matter as she stared at her Mom yelling at David through the glass door. She could only decipher so much.

 _"Are you sick?"_

 _"She is a criminal!"_

 _"Chloe's just a child!"_

 _"She's never gonna learn if you keep being soft!"_

 _"You need to get help!"_

Ironically, Chloe lit up a cigarette and watched what was left of her burning house turn to ash. But at the same time, she looked at it with the notion of finally being able to rebuild after four long years.


	16. Face That Fire

_In a hazy afternoon, Chloe Price finds herself laid in her room covered by fog. "If You're Going Through Hell" by_ _Rodney Atkins_ _is playing on the radio, but the tempo seems slower and the voice is transposing down, like a broken record. A door clicks. She opens her eyes abruptly and looks at her surroundings, she can barely tell where she is. Chloe feels ash falling on her bare leg, screaming at the pain of the burn. She realizes she's holding a cigarette, which is fuming with smoke._

 _"No, no, no, no," Chloe mumbled, panicking. She tries to put out the cigarette by throwing it on the floor and stepping on it, but instead the ground starts to set on fire. Chloe tries running to her window, but a solid figure was in her way. She blinked hard, but his face would stay the same. "D-dad, I'm sorry!"_

 _"I thought I'd smelled smoke!" William spat, speaking in a tone his daughter had never, ever heard before. His face looked pale, his skin filled with ash, his stare dead and his posture firm like a scarecrow._

 _Chloe opened her mouth, but nothing would come out, completely defenseless._

 _"What have I told you about smoking?" his loud voice said, his face transforming into David's for a split second. "I don't want it in my house!"_

 _"Stop yelling at me!" Chloe broke. "You've never yelled at me!"_

 _"Fucking little brat," he answered coldly. "I've had enough of your attitude!" Then he raised his hand..._

"Stop right there, Chloe," her psychologist said. "Your dad, he would never swear, right?"

Chloe gave it some thought. "Every time he did, he would put a dollar on the swear jar. Most of the times were when he couldn't find his car keys."

"So you could say, he wouldn't swear at you, not even think to insult you."

"I guess..." Chloe trailed off. "When I dreamed it, it felt so real, like I was back with David. But it also felt so odd, but I was too scared to process it."

"Alright, what if the next time he does something off character, you focus on that? Why not ask him about it?"

"Confront dad?" Chloe echoed. That had never seemed like an option.

 _"That's a dollar for the swear jar!" Chloe interrupted, shutting her eyes in fear of what would come next._

 _William seemed to have been taken aback, retracting his hand and reaching for his pocket. "I don't have my wallet on me."_

 _"You should go for it..." his daughter suggested._

 _He seemed to have considered it for a moment. "Okay." Then he turned around, stepping on flames on his way downstairs. Chloe used this opportunity to go out the window, running towards the edge of the roof and breathe fresh air._

 _The backyard stood below her. Everything was so bright and sunny for her house to be burning inside. The flowers had bloomed, the swings weren't rusty, swinging happily at the rhythm of the wind._

 _Suddenly, she heard the glass door slide, goosebumps going through her body. Footsteps got heavier in the shining grass, her Dad stepped into light. He looked nothing like the man in his room. This person was healthy and happy, you could just tell._

 _He picked up a daffodil flower. "You know what these mean? They bloom on Spring, symbolizing new beginnings." Then he reached out his other hand to Chloe, holding the swear jar._

 _His daughter had looked really confused at first, but then she noticed the dollar inside._

 _"To new beginnings!"_

"I can try," Chloe responded, her nightmares and memories becoming too blurry to make sense of them now.

"That's all I can ask," the psychologist said, straightening on her chair. "So did you do your assignment?"

Chloe seemed hesitant at first, but then nodded, taking the paper out of her bag and giving it to her.

After that awkward silence, Captain Cheese finished reading Chloe's poem. "That's so nicely written. It's about Rachel right?"

"I was gonna write about every person that's ever left, but instead I decided to write about the one who stayed." Chloe smiled. "She really liked it."

Her psychologist smiled back. "I'm happy to hear that."

"Yeah, I've started writing more on the side. I used to do it a lot, but then I stopped bothering."

"Why did you?" the woman asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I guess I knew that writing made me feel better, so I stopped to make myself feel worse." Chloe laid back on the chaise, looking at the ceiling. "I used to have a rhyming game with my dad, it just reminded me a lot of him."

"Well..." Captain Cheese looked at her and grinned. "I'm glad you got back to it."

Chloe just stared at her, scared to say 'Me too'.

* * *

That Monday afternoon, Chloe picked Rachel up from school. As usual, Chloe had a rock station on. "Future" by Paramore was playing. It was a quieter song than normal, but it was relaxing for Rachel after the long day she'd had. She was on finals and studying had been keeping her away from Chloe. They still saw each other every day, just not as much as they would like. But Chloe was very distracting. By "very", Rachel meant "a lot".

"You know how school will be over this weekend? Maybe we could go on a road trip now that this baby is working," Chloe said, patting the side of her truck.

"I was also thinking about that..." When Rachel finished her exams early, she'd find herself daydreaming of her girlfriend. Shocking. Dana even made fun of her for it.

"You're still on board for Cali?"

"Hell yeah, I'd love to be back. Even if it's just for a few weeks."

Chloe smiled, watching Rachel's eyes light up. "You really miss it?" It was more of a statement than a question.

Rachel nodded and then shrugged. "Happier times, I guess. I don't know, it's just has a lighter atmosphere. In here I feel like everyone is looking over my shoulder, waiting for me to screw up."

"I suppose it's the same for me. Not being at school has made me forget how people really suck."

"It's such a toxic environment. How do they expect us to learn anything when Taylor Christensen and Courtney Wagner are breathing down your throat?" Rachel rolled her eyes. "As if those bitches weren't begging me to be in their stupid party club a month ago."

"They are? I really hate them." Chloe clenched her fist while holding the steering wheel. "Even though I minded my own business, they always had something to say. _'Chloe you should smile a little, you're making my summer tan go away'_ ," Chloe mocked.

Rachel chuckled. "Fuck, you nailed it."

"Yes, I did. I made you laugh."

"Oh, you're back to being cheesy?"

"And you're not kissing me already? Last time you were on top of me."

Rachel's cheeks heated up. "And that sassiness is why I'm not."

Chloe parked in front of the Amber's house. _Should she still call it that?_

"And I also have to study chemistry."

"You know I could actually help you with that. Want to hear a joke about sodium, bromine, and oxygen? NaBrO!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You just explained why you can't. And if you keep up those corny jokes, you're not gonna get some any time soon."

"CoRnY?" Chloe repeated. "Do you mean cobalt, radon, and yttrium?"

Rachel leaned in a breath away from Chloe's lips, her girlfriend just closing her eyes in response. "No," Rachel stated and she got out of the car.

Chloe yelled out the window, "So Nobelium then?"

Rachel turned around after opening her front door. "Shut up!" She tried sounding serious, but she let out a tiny giggle as she went inside, making Chloe proud of herself.

* * *

Friday came by pretty slowly for Rachel and Chloe. But at last, it was here: The end of classes and the beginning of vacations. They already had their moms' permission for the trip and they were leaving bright and early the next morning for the long drive to California. This would be Chloe's first road trip without her dad and it was a bit overwhelming to even think of it that way, but she was with Rachel. Nothing could go wrong.

So on Saturday, Chloe picked Rachel up in her truck, putting her baggage in the back. "So..." Chloe glanced over her girlfriend. "Roadtrip rules."

"Wait, what?" Rachel tilted her head. "I thought the point of the Roadtrip was no rules."

"It is, but my rules are better." Chloe winked at her. "First things first. Can you drive?"

"Yeah, one little problem though. I don't have a license yet." Rachel looked down. "I was supposed to take the driving test in the summer with my dad... But we're doing this now."

"Alright!" Chloe clasped her hands together, thinking quickly. "In the highway, there won't be basically anyone, so you'll be fine by then."

"Bummer." Rachel lowered her voice. "I wanted to stare at you drive the whole trip."

Chloe bumped her shoulder. "Yeah, you would watch me pass out and kill us both." Pause. "Anyway, we are gonna be taking stops every now and then. I know the perfect place for a first stop."

The blonde crossed her arms. "And where is that?"

"You'll see." Chloe just smiled at her. "So rule 1: Who drives picks the music."

In a second, Rachel's ears were filled with hard rock music. "The number one priority."

"Uh... don't talk to strangers? I didn't think I'd have to tell you that."

"Silly." Rachel gazed at her with loving eyes.

Chloe scratched the back of her neck. "I'll tell you the rest of the rules along the way."

"You mean, as you come up with them." Rachel laughed.

"Rule number 2: Don't make fun of the driver!"


End file.
